insured would have been obligated to pay had the claims been submitted solely to the third party insurer (typically the co-pay), CVS billed and was paid a higher amount by Medicaid.

Under the terms of the agreement with the United States and the 10 states, CVS will pay the United States $7,993,615.55 and the states $9,506,384.45 plus interest. CVS has also executed an amendment to a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the Department of Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), that was executed on March 14, 2008, in connection with a separate investigation and settlement. The amendment to the CIA, which will be in effect for three years, will monitor CVS’s implementation of correct billing procedures and the training and education of employees. In addition, an independent reviewShort narrative for now: Italy is eliminated(!), England sticks to the north, France pushes onward into the Med, Austria heads into central europe, Turkey rises to the top of the pack, Russia stops the bleeding for now, the noose tightens on Japan from all sides.(more details to come later)