Novartis agrees to pay $642M to settle False Claims Act charges

[TexasTowelie]

July 1 (UPI) -- Novartis Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay more than $642 million in a pair of settlements stemming from charges that it violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

The New Jersey-based company paid $51.25 million in response to allegations that it illegally paid the copay obligations for patients taking its drugs and further agreed to pay $591,442,008 to settle charges that it paid kickbacks to doctors to prescribe its drugs.

Novartis will also forfeit $38.4 million under the Civil Asset Forfeiture Statute.

In the first case, Novartis was accused of using three foundations as conduits to pay the copayments of Medicare patients taking its drugs Gilenya and Afinitor.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/07/01/Novartis-agrees-to-pay-642M-to-settle-False-Claims-Act-charges/8911593652912/

[Nevilledog]

1. Why can't anybody play be the fucking rules????

Every day, more corruption...... From every corner of this country.

[PufPuf23]

2. Novartis is the producer of Cosentyx that is advertised continuously on TV

Here is the Novartis Foundation page for patients looking for financial assistance and also the drugs Novartis makes covered under their program.

Patient Assistance Foundation Enrollment

The Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc. (NPAF) is committed to providing access to Novartis medications for those most in need. If you are experiencing financial hardship and have limited or no prescription coverage, then you may be eligible to receive Novartis medications for free.

To be eligible for NPAF assistance, you must:

Be a US resident
Meet the income requirements below
Have limited or no private or public prescription coverage
Household Size Annual Household Income Threshold

1 Person < $ 75,000
2 People < $100,000
3 People < $125,000
4 People < $150,000
>5 People Add $25,000 for each additional person

To enroll, select your medication from the list below and follow the directions provided.

Here is link and list of about 60 (lost count) drugs they market under the Novartis Foundation:

https://www.novartis.us/our-products/patient-assistance/patient-assistance-foundation-enrollment

Here is the Cosentyx web site as an example that even matches doctor to patient and medication.

https://www.cosentyx.com/ankylosing-spondylitis/index

[stopbush]

4. I have been using Cosentyx for about 4 years. The OTC monthly charge is $3000.

I get the medication for FREE through the Novartis Assistance Foundation. Always have, even though I have had a prescription drug program all that time and am now on Medicare.

I have tried just about everything out there to treat my psoriasis over the decades: light boxes, Humira, tons of topical treatments. Cosentyx has worked the best for me. In fact, my skin was close to 100% clear within 5 months of starting on the medication. Four years down the road, I have seen a few spots of dry skin that have emerged on my skin that seem chronic, but it's no where near as bad as it was before.

Were it not for Novartis' program, I could not afford it. Novartis does offer a supplemental insurance plan that can get the patient's monthly co-pay down to $5, but I am with Kaiser Permanente, and they do not accept such plans. My monthly cost for Cosentyx thru Kaiser/Medicare would be around $250.

[madeup64]

3. Honestly curious about the co-pay issue

Anyone know why they are not allowed to pay the co-pay? Obviously most people are gonna wonder why that is bad. Is it to prevent an unfair advantage or something of that nature?