Pharmaceutical Manufacturer US WorldMeds LLC Pays $17.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
Pharmaceutical manufacturer US WorldMeds LLC (USWM), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to both patients and physicians to induce prescriptions of its drugs Apokyn and Myobloc. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the settlement on April 30, 2019. More
Can I Be Compensated For Being a Whistleblower?
One of the most common questions people have when they are considering whether to file a whistleblower lawsuit is whether any financial award is available to whistleblowers. In other words, can whistleblowers get paid? More
Sutter Health Settles False Claims Act Allegations for $30 Million
Sutter Health, based in Sacramento, California, agreed to pay $30 million to settle allegations that the health system submitted inflated diagnosis codes to the Center for Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this in a press release on April 12, 2019. More
Duke University Pays U.S. Government $112.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
Duke University, a private research university in Durham, North Carolina, recently paid the U.S. government $112.5 million to settle allegations that it submitted falsified data in order to win federal research grants. The settlement was announced on Monday, March 25, 2019, by the Department of Justice. More
Recent Supreme Court Ruling Gives Whistleblowers More Time
SCOTUS delivered a unanimous opinion on May 13, 2019 affirming a Eleventh Circuit ruling that (1) the extended limitations period of up to 10 years applies to whistleblower-initiated False Claims Act lawsuits in which the government has declined to intervene and (2) whistleblowers in nonintervened cases are not "the official of the United States" referred to by the statute. This decision resolved a three circuit split. More
Where Does Attorney General William Barr Stand on the False Claims Act?
William Barr was confirmed as Attorney General by the Senate a few months ago, after testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing on January 15, 2019. Immediately following the hearing, The National Whistleblower Center ("NWC") Whistleblower Protection Blog reported with a sigh of relief that Barr had committed to "diligently enforce" the False Claims Act. This post also included a statement from NWC Executive Director Stephen M. Kohn, calling this a "major victory for all whistleblowers," since Barr was historically opposed to the qui tam provision in the False Claims Act that enables whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the government if they have independent knowledge that fraud is taking place. More
The Brand Memo – Everything You Need to Know
The Brand memo was issued in January 2018 by then-Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, limiting the use of guidance documents in civil enforcement actions and preventing DOJ attorneys from using informal agency guidance as binding law. To understand more, it is important to first understand the Sessions memo. More
Durable Medical Equipment Provider Agrees To Pay $1.6 Million To Resolve False Claims Allegations
U.S. Attorney for Utah, John W. Huber, announced on December 11, 2018, that the durable medical equipment ("DME") company Western Medical Group agreed to pay $1,634,844 million to settle False Claims Act allegations. The settlement is the result of two qui tam actions filed by whistleblowers in December 2013 and February 2014. More
Drug Maker Actelion Agrees to Pay $360 Million to Settle False Claims Act Investigation Into Kickbacks
The pharmaceutical company Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. ("Actelion"), based in South San Francisco, California, has agreed to pay $360 million to resolve claims that it illegally funneled kickbacks through a patient-assistance charity. Federal prosecutors allege in a press release on December 6, 2018 that Actelion "illegally used a foundation as a conduit to pay the copays of thousands of Medicare patients taking Actelion's pulmonary arterial hypertension drugs." These actions are in violation of the False Claims Act. More
Largest Ever Recovery in a Single-State False Claims Act Lawsuit: $330 Million Settlement with Sprint Communications
New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood and Acting Tax Commissioner Nonie Manion announced a record $330 million settlement with Sprint Communications on December 21, 2018. This settlement is not only the largest-ever recovery by the New York Attorney General resulting from an action filed under the New York False Claims Act, but it is also the largest-ever recovery by a single state in an action brought under a state false claims act. More
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- Upcoding & Unbundling In Healthcare Fraud
- Higher Education Incentive Compensation Fraud
- The Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act: Working together to promote the responsible use of government funds
- Qui Tam Lawsuits
- Famous Whistleblowers and Their Impact on America
- New Formal Guidelines on "Cooperation Credit" for False Claims Act Defendants
- Failing to Meet Cybersecurity Requirements May Expose Company to False Claims Act Liability
- Carolina Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Inc. Settles False Billing Allegations and Agrees to Pay $790,000
- Pharmaceutical Executive Found Guilty of Racketeering Conspiracy in Landmark Bribery Case Involving False Claims
- Government Takes a Hard Line on Fraudulent Donations to Patient Assistance Programs
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