Optical devicemaker Essilor is paying $16.4 million to settle allegations that it paid kickbacks and violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department said Aug. 23.
Essilor allegedly offered or paid kickbacks to ophthalmologists and other eyecare providers from 2011 to 2016 to pressure them into purchasing Essilor products for patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, the Justice Department said.
The company agreed to enter a five-year corporate integrity agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General, the Justice Department said. Essilor will have to hire an independent organization to review its discounts, rebates and other price reductions to verify compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute.