WASHINGTON — Walgreens has agreed to pay $106 million to settle lawsuits that alleged the Deerfield-based pharmacy chain submitted false payment claims with government health care programs for prescriptions that were never dispensed.
The settlement announced on Friday resolves lawsuits filed in New Mexico, Texas and Florida on behalf of three people who had worked in Walgreens’ pharmacy operation. The lawsuits were filed under a whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act that lets private parties file case on behalf of the United States government and share in the recovery of money, the U.S. Justice Department said.
The pharmacy chain was accused of submitting false payment claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs between 2009 and 2020 for prescriptions that were processed but never picked up.
Settlement documents say Walgreens cooperated in the investigation and has improved its electronic management system to prevent such problems from occurring again.
In a statement, Walgreens said that because of a software error, the chain inadvertently billed some government programs for a relatively small number of prescriptions that patients submitted but never picked up.
“We corrected the error, reported the issue to the government and voluntarily refunded all overpayments,” the statement by Walgreens said.
In reaching the settlement, the chain didn’t acknowledge legal liability in the cases.
Related Posts:
- Haitian Americans in Chicago deride Trump's false, racist claims of immigrants eating pets News Haitian Americans in Illinois, including Attorney General Kwame Raoul, are calling former President Donald Trump’s amplification of a false rumor about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating pets “dangerous" to a community that has already experienced trauma in their native country. During Tuesday’s debate, Trump brought up a debunked far-right claim…
- Vance doesn’t back away from false claims about migrants in Ohio even amid threats to the community News By COLLEEN LONG WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance did not back away on Sunday from the false claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets, even as the state’s GOP governor and other officials insist…
- Vance doesn’t back away from false claims about migrants in Ohio even amid threats to the community News By COLLEEN LONG WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance did not back away on Sunday from the false claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets, even as the state’s GOP governor and other officials insist…
- Man shot by Fountain officers after allegedly threatening Walgreens employees with bomb, gun News A man was shot by Fountain police officers after allegedly threatening Walgreens employees with a bomb and a gun during a robbery, police said. Around 10 a.m. Saturday, Fountain officers responded to 7910 Fountain Mesa Road for reports of a robbery at Walgreens, according to a news release from the…
- I’m not punishing pensioners, Starmer insists as fears mount MORE pain is on way after winter fuel payment cut News SIR Keir Starmer today denied that means-testing winter fuel payments is a punishment beating for pensioners. On the plane to Washington DC, where he arrived this morning, the PM refused to answer questions on the possibility of more pain for OAPs. ReutersSir Keir Starmer today denied he is giving a…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)