Walgreens Agrees To Pay $269.2 Mln To Settle U.S. Civil Fraud Lawsuits

(RTTNews) - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WAG) agreed to pay US$269.2 million to settle U.S. claims that the drugstore chain defrauded a federally-funded health-care program over insulin drugs and a consumer-discount initiative.

The two settlements cover allegations over improper billing. The company agreed to pay US$209.2 million to resolve claims it billed Medicare, Medicaid and other programs for hundreds of thousands of insulin pens it distributed to people who didn't need them. Walgreens would also pay US$60 million for overbilling Medicaid by not disclosing lower drug prices it offered in a discount program.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said, "..... Overbilling and improper billing of Medicare and Medicaid unduly burden taxpayers and put the solvency of these vital healthcare programs at risk. This Office will hold healthcare providers to account when they fail to deal honestly with federal programs."