Government Wins $43 Million Verdict in Kickback Case

A jury has returned a $43 million verdict against Cameron-Ehlen Group, which does business as Precision Lens, for violations of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute. During the six-week jury trial, the United States proved that the defendants paid kickbacks to ophthalmic surgeons to induce their use of the company’s products in cataract surgeries reimbursed by Medicare, according to a Justice Department release. “The jury found that defendants’ kickbacks caused the submission of 64,575 false claims to the Medicare program between 2006-2015,” it says.

During the trial, the government identified multiple examples of trips to destinations on private jets that were provided to physicians for using company products. “Companies may not use expensive trips and other items of value to persuade physicians to use their products, and physicians may not accept that remuneration.”