SIGHTPATH MEDICAL AND ITS FORMER PRESIDENT PAY $12,000,000 TO THE UNITED STATES TO RESOLVE FALSE CLAIMS ACT ALLEGATIONS
August 23rd, 2017
A $12 million settlement was reached in a False Claims Act case alleging kickbacks to physicians for using Sightpath Medical Products in eye surgeries. The relator, Kipp Fesenmaier, was vice president of the company and reported that kickbacks were being offered to physicians to bribe them to use Sightpath Medical products. These kickbacks came in the form of sham consulting agreements and free entertainment – including hunting, fishing, and skiing trips. Halunen Law was proud to work with lead counsel from Morgan Verkamp LLC in this case. Susan Coler, head of Halunen Law’s Whistleblower/Qui Tam practice group, stated, “It’s great to see a result like this, where an employee’s report of illegal conduct caused significant corporate change and helped protect the integrity of medical decision making.
Read the full press release (Sightpath FCA PR)
Link to United States Department of Justice, District of Minnesota News Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/united-states-recovers-more-12-million-false-claims-act-settlements-alleged-kickback