Tag: Health Care

Consent order settles allegations that Urological Stone Surgeons, Parkside Kidney Stone Centers, Urological Services. Ltd and two physicians engaged in a price-fixing conspiracy to raise the price for professional urologist services for lithotripsy procedures in the Chicago metropolitan area. The complaint alleges that the parties agreed to use a common billing agent, established a uniform fee for lithotripsy services, prepared and distributed fee schedules, and negotiated contracts with third party payers on behalf of all urologists using the Parkside facility. The consent order prohibits such practices in the future and requires the parties to notify the Commission at least 45 days before forming or participating in an integrated joint venture to provide lithotripsy professional services.

CVS agreed to settle allegations that its acquisition of Revco would substantially reduce competition for the retail sale of pharmacy services to health insurance companies and other third-party payers in Virginia and in the Binghamton, New York metropolitan area. The consent order requires the divestiture of 114 Revco stores in Virginia and 6 pharmacy counters in Binghamton.

In March, 1998, CVS Corporation agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company violated a 1997 consent order and asset maintenance agreement it signed with the agency to settle charges stemming from CVS's 1997 acquisition of Revco D.S., Inc.

The Commission authorized staff to file a complaint and settlement in federal district court to settle allegations that the College and three physician groups engaged in an illegal boycott in an effort to coerce the government to make price-related changes under Puerto Rico's government-managed care plan for the indigent. According to the complaint, filed by the Commission and Puerto Rico's Attorney General in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico on October 2, 1997, the College and physicians engaged in an eight day boycott of all physician services for non-emergency patient care, which caused many people to be treated at area hospital emergency rooms and forced others to completely forego medical care. The settlement prohibits such practices in the future and in addition, requires the College to pay $300,000 to the catastrophic fund administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Health.