One hundred and sixty-seven hearing aid professionals paid a sum totaling $240,000 to their professional order for having received rebates from manufacturers of hearing aids without being entitled to them.
According to the information obtained by our Bureau of Investigation, the hearing aid professionals concerned have received benefits or discounts on prostheses that have already been reimbursed by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).
In a letter sent to members in recent weeks, trustee Gino Villeneuve indicates that he has concluded the investigation he has been leading for more than a year.
According to the trustee, they violated their code of ethics which prohibits any form of rebate, advantage or commission.
In addition to having to pay a sum to their professional order, the audioprosthetists concerned have agreed to end their agreements with manufacturers of hearing aids.
Despite our requests, the syndic refused to give more details on the benefits or discounts that hearing aid professionals would have received. In response to our questions, we were asked to make an access to information request.
No disciplinary committee
In his letter, he indicates that the 167 audioprosthetists will not have to submit to the disciplinary committee of their professional order and that they have cooperated in the investigation.
“The syndic therefore considers that the risk that such offenses will be committed in the future, by these audioprosthetists, appears to be very low, if not zero,” writes Gino Villeneuve.
This is not the first time that hearing aid professionals have been suspected of receiving discounts on prostheses sold to their patients.
RAMQ investigation
In 2017, our Bureau of Investigation revealed that the RAMQ had opened a major investigation into the subject.
The Régie suspected that manufacturers had granted rebates, bonuses, free rents and other benefits to hearing aid professionals to promote the sale of their products.
At the time, the Professional Association of Audioprothesists of Quebec had suggested to its members not to answer questions from the Journal or any other media.
In 2015, about 200 Proxim-affiliated pharmacists agreed to pay up to $12,500 each for receiving benefits from wholesaler McKesson.
