Medical device company Biotronik pays $4.9 million; settles surgeon-focused kickback False Claims Act lawsuit.
Here are five things to know about the lawsuit:
1. The qui tam False Claims Act lawsuit was brought by a former Biotronik employee in 2009 alleging the company induced physicians in Nevada and Arizona to use pacemakers, defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization devices in their surgeries.
2. The government chose to intervene in the action, saying Biotronik caused hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to submit false claims because the physicians' decisions were influenced by meals purchased and physician advisory board membership dues.
3. The government alleges Biotronik provided physicians with meals and compensation for their role on the physician advisory board without properly documenting any specific work performed. As a result, the government alleges Biotronik knowingly caused healthcare providers to submit false claims.
4. Biotronik agreed to pay a $4.9 million settlement with the federal government. The former employee who brought the qui tam suit will receive $846,000 of the total settlement.
5. The company denies it caused any false claims submissions.