Essilor agrees to $22M settlement over kickback charges
By 
Aaron Nicodemus2022-08-24T19:06:00
Essilor, a manufacturer and distributor of optical lenses and equipment, will pay $22 million to settle allegations it paid kickbacks to spur sales in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA).
Dallas-based Essilor International and its subsidiaries Essilor of America, Essilor Laboratories of America, and Essilor Instruments USA conducted an incentive scheme from 2011-16 that paid optometrists and ophthalmologists to encourage patients to choose Essilor products, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday in a press release. The alleged scheme violated the anti-kickback statute of the FCA.
Essilor will pay $16.4 million to the federal government and $5.6 million to states whose Medicaid programs were affected by the alleged misconduct, according to the settlement agreement.
THIS IS MEMBERS-ONLY CONTENT
You are not logged in and do not have access to members-only content.
If you are already a registered user or a member, SIGN IN now.
Related articles
-
News BriefTeva Pharma to pay $450M to settle kickback, price-fixing allegations
Generic drug giant Teva Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay $450 million to settle two cases brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), including one alleging that co-pays it made on behalf of Medicare patients constituted illegal kickbacks, and a second action for alleged generic drug price fixing.
-
ArticlePharma, whistleblower lessons learned from $900M Biogen settlement
Experts discuss the ramifications of Biogen’s $900 million settlement for False Claims Act violations, including the $266.4 million whistleblower bounty in the case believed to be the largest single award under any government program.
-
ArticleBiogen finalizes $900M settlement in false claims whistleblower suit
Biogen finalized a $900 million settlement concerning alleged kickbacks it paid to doctors to induce them to prescribe the company’s drugs and not those of its competitors.
More from Regulatory Enforcement
-
News BriefFTC sues Uber over deceptive subscriptions, a rare move for consumers by Trump officials
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging the ride-hailing company signed customers up for its Uber One subscription without consent, then made it hard for them to cancel. The move marks the U.S. government’s latest broadside against big tech companies, and the first major action from ...
-
News BriefCFPB pullback signals further shift toward industry-friendly regulation
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues to unravel amid pressure from Trump administration officials to shutter the agency. Not only has the agency informed its employees that it will no longer be a watchdog for the financial services industry, it has also laid off employees despite court orders blocking ...
-
News BriefTrump’s CFPB, dismissing Comerica case, continues to cut down Biden-era lawsuits
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dropped yet another consumer protection lawsuit against a bank or fintech provider since Donald Trump was sworn in as president in January. This time, it was with Comerica Bank.