Whistleblower Brenda March’s qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the United States against Cochlear Americas has resulted in an $880,000 recovery for American taxpayers, DoJ announced today. According to March’s Complaint, the company paid illegal kickbacks to doctors to induce them to use cochlear implant systems on their patients. The whistleblower suit was filed in 2004 and will result in a relator’s award of $176,000. In a prepared statement, Assistant Attorney General Tony West reiterated DoJ’s commitment to fighting illegal kickback schemes. “Today’s actions demonstrate that the United States will not tolerate the payment of kickbacks by any entity involved in providing medical goods and services to beneficiaries of federal health care programs,” said West.
To report Medicare Fraud, contact Frohsin & Barger.
This comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed this company. See http://www.cochlear.org/sys-tmpl/fraudandabuse. The whistleblower complaint by former CFO Brenda March was just the small portion of the illegal and monopolistic practices by this company that have kept cochlear implants out of the reach of many with hearing loss.
See here for the inside story: http://www.indiahearing.org