Novartis did absolutely violate its Corporate Integrity Agreement.
“The Anti-Kickback Statute clearly prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded programs. This prohibition extends not only to improper payments to providers, but also to the improper payment of patients’ copay obligations.
Novartis arranged for TAF to open its multiple sclerosis fund at 6:00 PM on a Friday in December 2012 and for Express Scripts to have personnel working overtime that night and the following morning to submit applications for patients who had been receiving free Gilenya”
Novartis violated the system, broke a number of integrity rules, supplying patients with drugs that were not necessary, bribing physicians to prescribe medication and making claims to Medicare for patients that were not yet eligible to receive benefits. “
do you agree or disagree? minimum 3 sentences.
