Centene has agreed to pay the state of Oregon $17 million to settle an investigation into whether it overcharged the state’s Medicaid program.
The state investigated whether Centene failed to provide pharmacy discounts that resulted in inflated fees while it served as a pharmacy benefit manager and Medicaid plan in the state.
“This pharmacy partnership with Centene was meant to help some our most vulnerable, but this company took advantage of Oregon. This settlement is one more way we can help [rein] in the price of prescription drugs,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement released this week.
This is not Centene’s first settlement related to alleged overcharges for pharmacy services.
Centene has paid nearly $480 million in settlements
Centene has agreed to pay 13 states in no-fault agreements, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from October. Centene has not disclosed the names of the states it has agreed to pay. Healthcare Dive has been able to identify 11, now including Oregon.
“This no-fault agreement reflects the significance we place on addressing their concerns and our ongoing commitment to making the delivery of healthcare local, simple and transparent,” Centene said in a statement.
The St. Louis-based insurer set aside a total of $1.25 billion last year in reserve to pay similar settlements. Centene is the largest Medicaid managed care provider in the country, covering 15.7 million people.
Most recently, Centene reached settlements in Massachusetts and Texas for $14 million and $166 million, respectively.