AstraZeneca to pay $215 Million in Medicaid Fraud Case
March 3, 2008
The news out of Alabama marks the second major decision in a Medicaid fraud case this month.
from the Associated Press:
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – A state-court jury awarded Alabama $215 million in its Medicaid drug-price-fraud suit against an AstraZeneca PLC unit.
The state had claimed the unit, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, made Alabama’s Medicaid system pay too much for drugs prescribed to its patients by inflating prices. The firm said it had obtained for the state the best price it could for its drugs.
The circuit-court jury said the subsidiary must pay $40 million in compensatory damages and $175 million in punitive damages.
This type of Medicaid and Medicare fraud has been prevalent in recent years. Without the help of courageous whistleblowers, this fraud against the government would go on without consequence. If you are seeing fraud on the government, contact us via email or call (800) 377-1812 for strictly confidential advice from experienced counsel, with no fee obligation.
