Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that as part of a coalition of 37 attorneys general and the federal government, he has reached a settlement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc. that resolves allegations that the national pharmacy chain submitted false Medicaid claims related to the dispensing of insulin pens. The $36.5 million national settlement will see CVS pay over $850,000 for its conduct in Minnesota, including more than $400,000 in direct restitution to Minnesota’s Medical Assistance Program, which is Minnesota’s Medicaid program.

“Insulin isn’t a luxury, it’s a medication people need to live, and Minnesota taxpayers generously help pay for insulin for Minnesotans who can’t afford to pay for it on their own. This is a vital social compact that CVS deliberately broke — along with breaking federal law — when it knowingly overbilled taxpayers for insulin it dispensed. This resolution should be a warning to any corporation that defrauds Medicaid that we will hold them accountable.” – AG Ellison