Medline settles kickback case for $85 million - Whistleblower gets $23.4 million

[Bozita]

Wasn't the current Florida governor busy CEOing HCA during this time period?


http://westlawnews.thomson.com/National_Litigation/News/2011/03_-_March/Medline_settles_kickback_case_for_$85_million/

Medline settles kickback case for $85 million
3/11/2011


NEW YORK, March 11 (Reuters Legal) - An Illinois medical products company will pay $85 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit accusing it of paying fraudulent kickbacks to hospitals and companies such as HCA Inc and HealthSouth Corp that buy supplies paid for by Medicare and Medicaid.

Medline Industries Inc will pay the sum to the United States, which will then pay $23.4 million to the whistleblower, former Medline employee Sean Mason.

The firm Milberg, which represents Mason, called the accord one of the largest involving alleged violations of the False Claims Act in which the federal government chose not to get involved.

Medline will also pay $6 million to Milberg, according to the settlement agreement, a copy of which Reuters obtained.

-snip-

Mason said he worked at Medline from 1998 to 2005 as a distribution service manager and director of account implementation. He said these jobs gave him personal knowledge of inducements that the company may have granted.

more...

[Angry Dragon]

1. And now then let's see some people in prison

Why stop doing it if no one pays a price??

[upi402]

2. "Following the raids, the Columbia/HCA board of directors forced Scott to resign"

"On March 19, 1997, investigators from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to the company.<19>

Following the raids, the Columbia/HCA board of directors forced Scott to resign as Chairman and CEO.<20> He was paid $9.88 million in a settlement. He also left owning 10 million shares of stock worth over $350 million.<21><22><23>

In 1999, Columbia/HCA changed its name back to HCA, Inc.

In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA plead guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in the largest fraud settlement in US history."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Scott

[Bozita]

3. So Fox was long gone before the whistleblower was even hired.

I'd better remove the Fox thing from the title line.

ooops, I almost forgot to thank you.

[upi402]

4. Republicans ELECT crooks, Liberals resign if they get cheap shotted saying something

We need to hold their feet to the fire - this crap in Florida is ugly. Thanks for keeping this front and center.
:kick:

[Bozita]

5. There's a real chance that the kickback scheme was an ongoing enterprise ...

... long before the whistleblower hired in.

It'd make for a great question at the guv's next news conference.