The Pervasiveness of Health Care Corruption as Shown by Another Roundup of Legal Settlements

Legal settlements are one way to document unethical and even corrupt behavior by large health care organizations, even if they may not deter bad behavior in the future.  It is time for another roundup of settlements by large pharmaceutical and device companies, presented in alphabetical orderAbbott LaboratoriesThis one goes back to late December, 2013.  As described in the Chattanoogan (from Tennessee):Abbott Laboratories, a global healthcare company, has agreed to pay $5.475 million to settle alleged violations of the False Claims Act, and other federal laws and regulations in connection with the operation of its medical device business which manufactures, markets and supplies carotid, biliary, and peripheral vascular products.The US Justice Department accused Abbott of kickbacks to physicians, As alleged in the settlement agreement, between 2005 and 2010, through its employees and a third party continuing medical education providers, Abbott offered physicians paid teaching and training assignments, consulting arrangements, speaking engagements, and/or sponsorship grants for physician conferences, for the purpose of inducing physicians to arrange for or recommend that the hospitals with which they were affiliated purchase or order Abbott’s carotid, biliary and peripheral vascular products.Note in particular that the kickbacks were disguised as payments for consulting or speaking. As is usual in such cases, no individual seems to have paid any...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Management Tags: Abbott antitrust Baxter Endo Health Solutions fraud Hospira kickbacks legal settlements Neurontin Pfizer restraint of competition RICO Source Type: blogs