by Ben Vernia | February 19th, 2014
On February 19, the Department of Justice announced that a Redmond, Washington-based medical device company had agreed to settle civil charges initially brought by a whistleblower for $5.25 million. According to DOJ’s press release:
Medical device manufacturer EndoGastric Solutions Inc. has agreed to pay the government up to $5.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by misleading health care providers about how to bill federal health care programs for a procedure using a device manufactured by the company and by paying kickbacks, the Justice Department announced today. EndoGastric Solutions is located in Redmond, Wash.
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EndoGastric Solutions manufactures and sells a device called EsophyX that is intended to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease. The device was developed as an alternative to a more invasive procedure that requires incisions in the abdomen. The government alleged that EndoGastric Solutions knowingly caused health care providers to bill for the less invasive EsophyX procedure using codes applicable to the more invasive procedure, which provided for a higher level of reimbursement. As a result, federal health care programs allegedly paid more than they should have for the procedures using EsophyX.The government also alleged that EndoGastric Solutions knowingly paid illegal remuneration to certain physicians for participating in patient seminars and co-marketing agreements to induce them to use EsophyX, in violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that physicians’ medical judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are based solely on the best interests of patients.
The Department announced that the whistleblower, a former employee of the defendant, will receive $945,000 (an 18% relator’s share).
