Omnicare Inc. to Pay $124.24 Million in Settlement of Whistleblower Case

From the Department of Justice, news of the False Claims Act settlement reached with Omnicare Inc., “the nation’s largest provider of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy services to nursing homes.”  The company has agreed to pay $124.24 million “in return for their continued selection” as the supplier of drugs to elderly Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.  The claims related to improper discounts allegedly given by Omnicare as incentives for doing business with the company.

According to the DOJ press release, the settlement resolves two lawsuits filed by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. “The first whistleblower, Donald Gale, a former Omnicare employee, will receive $ 17.24 million.” 

DOJ states that since January 2009, it has “recovered a total of more than $19.5 billion through False Claims Act cases,” including more than $13.9 billion in cases alleging fraud associated with health care programs.