WASHINGTON—A subsidiary of Dutch medical device maker Philips has agreed to pay over $24 million to resolve alleged false claims over respiratory-related medical equipment, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.
The subsidiary, Philips RS North America LLC, formerly known as Respironics Inc., resolved allegations that it misled federal healthcare programs by paying kickbacks to durable medical equipment suppliers, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Respironics allegedly gave the suppliers physician prescribing data free of charge that could assist their marketing efforts to physicians, the Justice Department said.
“Paying illegal remuneration to induce patient referrals undermines the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s civil division….