The government is scheduled to file their complaint by the end of August after interviewing additional individuals relative to the case.  The recent case in California probably didn’t help matters much with being the public eye.  The California case is interesting and worth a read and also has to deal with kickbacks.

St. Jude Medical, Cardiologist, Son of MD – Lawsuit for Malpractice – Family Ties & Backroom Deals

Medicare payments for the defibrillators are said to be reason for the DOJ investigation.  Whistle blower or disgruntled employee will somehow be what needs to be untangled here.  In their statement, Tenet said they also believed that other hospitals may have received the same letter of inquiry.  BD    image

The U.S. Justice Department said it wants to intervene in a lawsuit against St. Jude Medical Inc. in which a former worker accused the heart-device maker of using medical studies to pay kickbacks and boost product usage.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Boston launched an industry-wide probe nearly five years ago into whether makers of pacemakers and defibrillators were making improper payments to doctors. The government had filed a notice in federal court in December saying its investigation wasn't complete, and that it wasn't intervening in the former St. Jude worker's lawsuit at that time. .

The government is allegedly involved because the heart-rhythm devices at issue are often implanted in patients covered by the government's Medicare program. Device makers like St. Jude sell products to hospitals that are reimbursed by Medicare for treating patients.

In a related development, hospital operator Tenet Healthcare Corp. disclosed earlier this week that the Justice Department sent the company a "civil investigative demand" in March seeking information about Medicare claims submitted by the company in connection with implantable defibrillator procedures. Tenet said in a regulatory filing Tuesday it believes the Justice Department has issued similar requests to other hospitals and to the heart-device manufacturers.

U.S. to Intervene in Alleged St. Jude Kickback Case - WSJ.com

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