Former RI legislator guilty of accepting healthcare payoffs

A former Rhode Island legislator has agreed to plead guilty to charges that he accepted a vendor payoff to steer supplier contracts to its door. Former RI House Majority Leader Gerard Martineau was accused of agreeing to block pending pharmacy freedom-of-choice legislation, which would have allowed consumers to fill prescriptions at any drug store rather than within a preferred pharmacy network. In return, federal prosecutors say, Martineau was awarded contracts from an unnamed pharmacy company and health plan provider to the tune of about $900,000, under which he provided the companies with prescription bags.

Not only did Martineau accept the contract, he only provided the companies with 2 million bags despite being contracted to produce 10 million. He now faces up to five years in prison and fines totaling $500,000.

To learn more about the charges:
- read this Modern Healthcare article

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CVS execs indicted on bribery charges in RI. Report

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