Gilead Sciences to Pay $45 Million to Settle Texas Medicaid Kickback Allegations

Gilead Sciences has agreed to pay $45 million to settle claims by the Texas attorney general that the company provided illegal kickbacks that influenced prescriptions covered by Texas Medicaid.

The state alleges Gilead offered free nursing support services and other assistance to doctors to encourage them to prescribe its products, and that it paid a third-party firm to employ registered nurses who would recommend Gilead drugs. These practices are said to have generated false claims to government health programs.

The settlement follows a series of whistleblower actions against drugmakers over similar nurse‑deployment schemes and adds to recent enforcement actions targeting marketing practices. While Gilead does not admit wrongdoing, the payment resolves the Texas case and may influence future compliance scrutiny.