North Andover Firm Ordered To Pay For Overcharging Opiate Addicts

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- The North Andover-based Center for Psychiatric Medicine collected cash payments from its clients for Suboxone, even though the drug was covered by MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid Program. The company and owners Joseph Campione and Thomas J. McLaughlin were ordered to pay $612,000 following a summary judgement, according to a news release Tuesday from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office.

"This center stole from its own patients seeking treatment for opioid addiction and put up barriers that could have had fatal consequences," Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said.

According to the AG's office, CPM collected cash from its clients between October 2010 to November 2015 for Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction. Patients were told the company did not accept MassHealth, even though the company was reimbursed through the program. CPM, according to court documents, collected as much as $325 for initial visits and $200 for subsequent visits.

The settlement calls for all of the bilked patients to be reimbursed.

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Patch file photo by B.Stefanov/Shutterstock.com.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).