With the latest settlement announced yesterday, Wisconsin has reached settlements totaling close to $13 million against dozens of pharmaceutical companies for allegedly defrauding its Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus programs, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report.
The lawsuit, filed in 2004, alleged that pharmaceutical companies reported fictitious prices to manipulate formulas determining what Medicaid should pay for prescription drugs. The first case was not brought to trial until 2009 due to the amount of preparation required.
The latest settlement comes from Merck, Schering and Warrick Pharmaceuticals, which agreed to pay the state $3.7 million in restitution and $550,000 in costs and fees. Schering and Warrick were purchased by Merck.
Other settlements stemming from the lawsuit include:
• Dey agreed to pay $2 million in September.
• Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane, Ben Venue Laboratories and Roxane Laboratories agreed to pay a total of $7.75 million last April.
• Baxter Healthcare agreed to pay $1 million in Feb. 2009.
• Amgen and Immunex, which Amgen bought, agreed to pay $2 million in Dec. 2008.
Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report on Wisconsin and pharmaceutical fraud.
Read more about pharmaceutical fraud:
- Bristol-Myers Accused of Kickbacks, Bribing Physicians With Gifts
- Elan Pharmaceuticals Faces $97M Fine After Pleading Guilty to Off-Label Marketing of Epilepsy Drug
- Former Johnson & Johnson Employee Files Whistleblower Suit Alleging Medicaid Fraud
The lawsuit, filed in 2004, alleged that pharmaceutical companies reported fictitious prices to manipulate formulas determining what Medicaid should pay for prescription drugs. The first case was not brought to trial until 2009 due to the amount of preparation required.
The latest settlement comes from Merck, Schering and Warrick Pharmaceuticals, which agreed to pay the state $3.7 million in restitution and $550,000 in costs and fees. Schering and Warrick were purchased by Merck.
Other settlements stemming from the lawsuit include:
• Dey agreed to pay $2 million in September.
• Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane, Ben Venue Laboratories and Roxane Laboratories agreed to pay a total of $7.75 million last April.
• Baxter Healthcare agreed to pay $1 million in Feb. 2009.
• Amgen and Immunex, which Amgen bought, agreed to pay $2 million in Dec. 2008.
Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report on Wisconsin and pharmaceutical fraud.
Read more about pharmaceutical fraud:
- Bristol-Myers Accused of Kickbacks, Bribing Physicians With Gifts
- Elan Pharmaceuticals Faces $97M Fine After Pleading Guilty to Off-Label Marketing of Epilepsy Drug
- Former Johnson & Johnson Employee Files Whistleblower Suit Alleging Medicaid Fraud