Illinois MRI centers to settle illegal kickback case

An operator of 14 Chicago-area MRI centers will settle allegations they paid illegal kickbacks to doctors to win patient referrals, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office confirmed. Under the settlement, Virginia-based MIDI LLC will pay $1.2 million, much of it to fund state grants for low income patient care, and is prohibited from paying referring doctors under what the centers called "lease agreements" or "technical service agreements." Madigan's office alleged the agreements were shams merely used to pay doctors to refer patients to the centers.