Summary of article from Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, by Theresa Androff, Molly Ruberg:
The first quarter of 2024 saw significant False Claims Act (FCA) and civil healthcare fraud settlements in the healthcare industry, despite a recent downward trend. These settlements, worth millions of dollars, were related to alleged kickbacks, medically unnecessary services and equipment, pharmaceutical issues, and Controlled Substances Act violations. Key settlements included New York York-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital’s $17.3 million for alleged kickbacks, Lincare’s $25.5 million for false claims related to medical equipment, and Endo Health Solutions’ $475.6 million for its opioid marketing schemes. There were also significant settlements related to voluntary self-disclosures, such as Moffitt’s $19.5 million for false claims related to research studies. Additionally, eBay Inc. settled for $59 million, marking the first Controlled Substances Act settlement with an e-commerce company.