Friday, December 3, 2004 By Barbara Martinez The Wall Street Journal
The Justice Department said that Medco Health Solutions Inc. offered a kickback of more than $200 million to a major health insurer in exchange for its business, according to a court document filed last week in the agency's lawsuit against the pharmacy benefit manager.
The document, filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, doesn't name the insurer, but Medco provides pharmacy benefits to the members of some of the largest health plans in the U.S. Previously, the Justice Department accused Medco of paying an $87.4 million kickback to a smaller insurer. Oxford Health Plans Inc. had confirmed that it was the insurer involved in that allegation but said there was no wrongdoing.
"Upholding high standards of personal service, assuring full
access to
consumer options and preserving the traditional contributions of local
pharmacies to the state's economy"