Rite Aid Settles Medicare False Claims for $2.99M; Whistleblower to Get $508K

Rite Aid Corporation has paid the federal government $2.99 million to resolve allegations that the company knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and Medicaid programs by inappropriately using gift cards as inducements, the U.S. Department of Justice announced earlier this week.

The settlement resolves allegations that Rite Aid offered illegal inducements to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to transfer their prescriptions to Rite Aid pharmacies.  The government alleged that from 2008 to 2010, Rite Aid had knowingly and improperly influenced the decisions of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to transfer their prescriptions to Rite Aid pharmacies by offering them gift cards in exchange for their business.

The settlement resolves allegations filed by Jack Chin under the qui tam, or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which authorizes private parties to sue for fraud on behalf of the United States and share in the recovery.  Chin will receive approximately $508,300 of the settlement.       

The Chanler Group, in association with the Hirst Law Group, represents whistleblowers who take action under the False Claims Act to report fraud committed against the federal and state governments.  We have years of experience representing whistleblower clients who expose every kind of fraud against the government, including health care fraud, contract fraud, and tax fraud.  Read more about our expertise in False Claims Act cases and how you can take action.