SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
If you're going to overcharge the U.S. government, you don't want to get caught:
Mylan NV for years overcharged the U.S. Medicaid health program to buy its EpiPen shot, the government said Wednesday, despite being told that it needed to give bigger discounts under the law. From 2011 to 2015, the joint state-federal program for the poor spent about $797 million on EpiPens, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, said in a letter Wednesday. That included rebates of about 13 percent, but the U.S. should have been getting a larger discount of at least 23.1 percent.
While the agency didn't say exactly how much Mylan had overcharged, the amount could be substantial. Under law, companies are required to give [Medicaid] back any price increases they take on brand drugs above the rate of inflation, in addition to the 23.1 percent discount. Mylan, after acquiring the drug in 2007, has raised the price of EpiPen by about sixfold, to over $600 for a package of two. The government has in the past "expressly told Mylan that the product is incorrectly classified," CMS said in the letter, which came in response to an inquiry by Congress. "This incorrect classification has financial consequences for the amount that federal and state governments spend because it reduces the amount of quarterly rebates Mylan owes for EpiPen."
Previously:
EpiPen's Price Increased 400% since 2008
AllergyStop: $50 EpiPen is Production-Ready but...
(Score: 5, Funny) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday October 06 2016, @02:40PM
The proprietary part is an *injector* for crying out loud, not a genetically-engineered cloned superchimp or something.
- OK Mr Reynolds, so you're here for your flu jab, is that right?
- Yes Doctor.
- Good. Now Mr Reynolds, you may remember that when you booked this appointment, you ticked the box to take part in a trial for an experimental new drug delivery method called GECS-C.
- What's that banging noise? I think it's coming from next door.
- Never mind that, Mr Reynolds. As I say, we have this experimental new drug delivery method, which...
- It sounds like someone is throwing furniture at the ceiling. And what is that ungodly screeching sound?
- Yes yes, we'll come to that soon enough. The point is, you may get your vaccination administered via the experimental method, or you may be in the control group which will have it administered by traditional means. But we won't be telling you which group you are in until the trial is concluded. Do you understand?
- Um, yes. The noise is getting... oh, what's that?
- I just need to smear this onto your face, Mr Reynolds.
- Oh. Is that the new drug delivery thingy?
- No no, Mr Reynolds, this is just mashed banana.
- Mashed..?
- It will all become clear soon enough. Now I'm going to leave the room and lock the door, and shortly afterwards then that door over there will open. When that happens Mr Reynolds, I advise you to remain completely calm, and make no sudden moves...