Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has reached a $45 million settlement with CVS Health and its pharmacy benefit manager subsidiary, resolving three lawsuits over alleged regulatory and competitive misconduct.
The lawsuits concerned allegations related to consumer communications about pending legislation, PBM regulatory practices and harm to Louisiana’s independent pharmacies due to unfair competition, according to a Feb. 23 news release. The settlement resolves all claims without any admission of liability or wrongdoing by CVS.
Ms. Murrill said the decision to settle avoids prolonged litigation and ensures immediate benefit to the state and taxpayers. The $45 million will support pharmacy benefit legislation and Medicaid fraud initiatives in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Health and the Office of the Inspector General.
In a statement to Becker’s, CVS said it was pleased to resolve the matter, expressing that the settlement “enables us to put this litigation behind us so we can continue to serve Louisiana residents.”
