Gambro Settles Western Michigan Dialysis Services Dispute

March 13, 2001 - It is being reported that Gambro has sold four dialysis facilities in western Michigan, apparently as part of its year 2000 agreement with the Michigan Attorney General.

The last paragraph of this article from the Michigan Live web site also states that two West Michigan health maintenance organizations, Priority Health and Grand Valley Health Plan, sued Gambro late last year for as much as $2 million in overcharges.

July 17, 2000 - A settlement has been reached between the Michigan Attorney General and Gambro Healthcare regarding the monopoly of dialysis care in western Michigan.

Gambro will sell three of the eight clinics it controls in the area. Also, agreements that prevented physicians and healthcare providers from doing business with other dialysis companies have been nullified.

The agreement also calls for Gambro to pay $175,000 in costs, civil penalties, and lawyers' fees and make a $175,000 donation to the National Kidney Foundation.

Here is the press release announcing the agreement from the Attorney General's office.

August 31, 1999 - The State Attorney General of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, announced that her office had filed suit against Gambro Healthcare for illegally monopolizing the kidney dialysis market in western Michigan. Here is the press release from the Attorney General's office. Here is the home page for the Michigan Attorney General.

Here is the original story from The Detroit News.



[This message has been edited by Gary Peterson (edited 03-15-2001).]