DENVER (KDVR) — Denver-headquartered dialysis giant DaVita Inc. and former CEO Ken Thiry face a two-count federal indictment on labor violations.
The indictment charges DaVita and Thiry conspired with competitors not to hire some of each other’s senior-level employees. The charges are violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
A federal grand jury in Denver handed up the indictment on Wednesday.
“Those who conspire to deprive workers of free-market opportunities and mobility are committing serious crimes that we will prosecute to the full extent of the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are grateful for our partnership with the FBI and our shared commitment to rooting out illegal collusion targeting labor markets.”
In question is DaVita’s arrangement with Texas-based Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, which also faces charges in the case, along with a second healthcare company that was not named in DaVita’s and Thiry’s indictment.
DaVita’s practices have been in question a number of times before. Here’s a look at some of them:
- 2015 – Colorado to get $3 million from illegal kickback settlement with DaVita
- 2017 – Denver-based DaVita under fire after report on company’s practices
- 2018 – Health company DaVita to pay $270 million over improper billing practices
- 2019 – 39 DaVita employees suing for unpaid wages and overtime