Respironics Settlement and Corporate Integrity Agreement

One more False Claims Act case has been settled; this time Respironics, Inc., who allegedly violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to durable medical equipment suppliers that bought its services. Respironics, who makes breathing masks for people who suffer from sleep apnea, allegedly provided free customer support through its medSage call center to suppliers whose customers used Respironics masks. Medical product suppliers that sold masks made by Respironics' competitors had to pay for the call center services based on the number of patients who used masks manufactured by other companies. Such a setup essentially forced suppliers into using Respironics masks. It is a violation of the law to induce medical suppliers to use a particular company's product for any government-covered medical service. Since the masks could be covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare programs, doing so came under the purview of the Anti-Kickback Statute. This settlement also resolves a qui tam lawsuit that was originally brought by Dr. Gibran Ameer, who has worked for different medical equipment companies and who was once presented with the concept from Respironics, immediately realizing the arrangement resembled illegal kickbacks. Dr. Ameer will receive $5.38 million out of the federal share of the recovery. According to Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Department of Health and Human Services, "Medical equipment manufacturers that boost profits by providing kickback...
Source: Policy and Medicine - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs