Statement from HHS Secretary Sebelius on Resolution of Criminal and Civil Investigations of Johnson & Johnson

Statement

Multiple investigations found Johnson & Johnson (J&J) put profit ahead of the health and safety of children, the elderly and people with developmental disabilities. The $2.2 billion resolution announced earlier today by Attorney General Eric Holder is another example of our commitment at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect health and aggressively combat health care fraud.

In this case the Food and Drug Administration's mission to ensure drugs are safe and effective for intended use was thwarted and false claims were submitted to federal health care programs including Medicare and Medicaid. When tax payers are being ripped off and health and safety are jeopardized we will take forceful action.

To crack down on the people and organizations that abuse the system and prey on vulnerable populations HHS and Department of Justice created the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) in May 2009. Today's announcement is one of the many HEAT accomplishments over the past several years.

Stopping fraud requires cooperation from everybody--the federal government, state governments, health care providers, insurers, law enforcement, and citizens.

To report suspected fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in US Department of Health and Human Services programs, call the Office of Inspector General Hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (447-8477), or go online to https://forms.oig.hhs.gov/hotlineoperations.

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