Penalty Amount
$36,500,000
Minnesota AG Ellison and a coalition of 37 AGs and the federal government reached a $36.5 million settlement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc. for allegedly submitting false Medicaid claims related to insulin pens from 2010-2020. CVS overbilled government healthcare programs by requesting reimbursement for ineligible refills and under-reporting days of supply.
CVS will pay $36.5 million nationally, including over $850,000 to Minnesota, with more than $400,000 in restitution to Minnesota's Medicaid program.
In-house legal teams should review contracts with government healthcare programs, pharmacy benefit managers, and any vendor agreements related to billing and dispensing. They should ensure clauses require accurate billing, compliance with the False Claims Act, and proper record-keeping. Also, review auto-refill system contracts to prevent premature refills and ensure days of supply are accurately reported.
Entity
CVS Pharmacy, Inc.
Industry
Retail"settlement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc."
"The $36.5 million national settlement"
"in violation of the False Claims Act"
"CVS deliberately overbilled government healthcare programs"
"CVS will pay over $850,000 for its conduct in Minnesota, including more than $400,000 in direct restitution to Minnesota’s Medical Assistance Program"
The Minnesota court denied X.AI's request for a temporary restraining order that would have halted enforcement of Minnesota's first-in-the-nation AI nudification ban (HF 1606). The law bans technology that generates fake nude images of real people, and Attorney General Ellison argued that X.AI's delay in filing the motion showed no immediate harm. The court agreed, allowing the law to take effect as planned.
The Minnesota Attorney General reached a civil settlement with MN Fundraising Initiative (MNFI), a sham charity that misclassified hundreds of concession stand workers as 'volunteers' while paying them 'grants' in exchange for their labor. The scheme violated Minnesota nonprofit corporation laws, the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act, and misclassification statutes. Under the settlement, MNFI must dissolve and file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general submitted comments to the FCC urging stronger Know Your Customer (KYC) rules to prevent scammers from using the U.S. communications network for illegal robocalls. The coalition recommends requiring providers to understand customers' business practices, holding all originating providers to KYC standards, and collecting additional information on high-risk customers. This effort is part of Phase 2 of Operation Robocall Roundup.
The Minnesota Attorney General is holding a community forum to gather public input on the proposed acquisition of Allina Health by Sutter Health. The review is conducted under Minnesota's health care transaction law, charities law, and antitrust law to determine if the transaction is in the public interest. No enforcement action has been taken; this is a public consultation.
This press release is about a court temporarily blocking the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance Corporation based on antitrust concerns under the Clayton Act. It is not a privacy-related enforcement action. The Minnesota Attorney General joined a multistate coalition to challenge the merger, and the court granted a temporary restraining order.
$29.6M
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a 48-state coalition in a $29.6 million settlement with generic-drug manufacturer Glenmark to resolve allegations of a widespread conspiracy to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrain trade for numerous generic prescription drugs. The settlement requires Glenmark to cooperate in ongoing multistate lawsuits and implement internal reforms to ensure compliance with antitrust laws.