Warsaw Orthopedic Firms Avoid Prosecution

Warsaw orthopedic companies Biomet, DePuy and Zimmer have signed deferred prosecution agreements which could prevent the companies from facing federal criminal charges. Under the agreements, a U-S attorney will not file charges of conspiracy to violate a federal anti-kickback law, if the companies fully comply with several terms. The government alleges that each companies paid surgeons to use only that company’s orthopedic implants. F-B-I Agent Weysan Dun says his investigation uncovered evidence that, as he puts it, “health care decisions were being made based on a doctor's wallet and not on a patient's well-being." The companies have agreed to pay settlements totaling more than 281 million dollars. The agreements allow the companies to avoid admitting that they did anything wrong. See more information, including copies of the deferred prosecution agreements, on the Web site of the U.S. Attorney's office.