Texas Nursing Home Settles FCA Rehab Services Fraud Claim for $600,000
Texas nursing home company Regent Management Services, L.P. paid $600,000 in August of this year to settle a False Claims Act case brought by one of its former employees in 2014. More
Ninth Circuit Affirms FCA Grant Fraud Finding Against Chabad of California
On September 7, the Ninth Circuit affirmed that Chabad of California was liable for federal grant fraud under the False Claims Act for its noncompliance with financial management standards imposed as a condition of participation in the Urban Areas Security Initiative: Nonprofit Security Grant Program run by the Department of Homeland Security. See United States ex rel. Kozak v. Chabad of California, No. 15-17246 (9th Cir. Sept. 7, 2017). More
Department of Justice Announces Mylan Settlements
On August 17, the Department of Justice announced a landmark $465 million settlement in a False Claims Act action against pharmaceutical companies Mylan Inc. and Mylan Specialty L.P., best known as the makers of EpiPen, a critical emergency medication for individuals suffering from life-threatening allergies. More
Department of Justice—With the Help of Whistleblowers—Continues to Vigorously Pursue Cases of Fraud Against the Government
Earlier this month, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Division, Chad Readler, reiterated the government’s commitment to combating fraud. More
Materiality after Escobar: Why Government Behavior after a Defendant Presents a False Claim Is Not Dispositive
In Universal Health Servs., Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar, 136 S. Ct. 1989 (2016), the Supreme Court resolved a circuit split over the implied false certification theory of liability under the False Claims Act (FCA). As opposed to express false certification, where the defendant allegedly has made an affirmative false statement regarding its compliance with underlying statutory or regulatory requirements, implied false certification is based on the defendant's failure to disclose its noncompliance with these requirements. In Escobar, the Court upheld implied false certification as a valid theory of liability under the FCA, but tightly circumscribed its scope through a "rigorous" interpretation of the Act's materiality and scienter requirements, holding that "[a] misrepresentation about compliance with a statutory, regulatory, or contractual requirement must be material to the Government's payment decision in order to be actionable under the False Claims Act." Escobar, 136 S. Ct. at 1996. More
Government and Whistleblowers Bring More False Claims Act Cases in 2017
The current administration recently made it clear that it will continue to vigorously investigate and enforce the law prohibiting attempts to defraud the government. False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuits continue to trend upwards as the Department of Justice files a second complaint against UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UHG) within two weeks. This development follows on the heels of the prior complaint, United States ex rel. Swoben v. Secure Horizons, which outlined allegations that UHG defrauded Medicare programs with false claims for payment. More
Recoveries For FCA Claims Involving Fraud in 2016
In 2016, whistleblowers filed 702 qui tam suits and the Department of Justice recovered $2.9 billion in False Claims Act lawsuits initiated by whistleblowers. In qui tam lawsuits, whistleblowers, or “relators,” are entitled to receive up to 30% of the recovery. And in 2016, whistleblowers recovered $519 million. More
Do I Have Enough Information To Be a Whistleblower?
If you have information about fraud being committed against the government, you might be considering whether you have enough information to state a claim under the False Claims Act. It can be challenging to know whether you have enough information to bring a qui tam suit, but generally, you need to meet the following requirements to successfully file a claim under the False Claims Act: More
2017 FCA Non-Compliance Trends Emerging at Hospitals
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), as part of the Department of Health and Human Services, plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Each year, the OIG releases a Work Plan that highlights its priorities and emerging issues in detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. More
How the Government Gets Involved in False Claims Act Cases?
The False Claims Act (FCA) is designed to help prevent fraud against the federal government. The FCA allows the government to pursue claims against individuals or entities who defraud the government or government programs. More
Subscribe to this blog's feedRecent Posts
- False Claims Act and the Opioid Crisis: First-ever Civil Injunction Filed by Justice Department to Combat Opioid Over-Prescription
- DOJ Publishes FCA Statistics for Fiscal Year 2018
- Escobar decision continues to affect major FCA cases
- US Government continues to combat health care fraud in Chicago
- Wisconsin taxpayers have lost millions since the 2015 repeal of the Wisconsin FCA
- Chemed Corp. and Vitas Hospice Services settle FCA allegations for $75 million
- Illinois Attorney General reaches $4.5 million settlement with Chicago-area gas stations under the Illinois FCA
- FCA Allegations Regarding Employee Billable Time in U.S. Disaster-Relief Efforts Survive Motion to Dismiss
- Four Houston-Area Hospitals Pay $8.6 Million to Settle Ambulance Swapping Allegations
- New York-Based Contractors Settle FCA Allegations that Company Improperly Obtained Federal Contracts for Service-Disabled Veterans
Topics
- Carter v. Halliburton
- Corporate Fraud
- Department of Justice
- Evidence
- Farm Subsidy Fraud
- Fourth Circuit
- Goldberg Kohn
- Healthcare Fraud
- Higher Education
- Kickbacks
- Legal Procedures
- Legislation
- Materiality
- Medical Devices
- Medicare
- Military Fraud
- Qui Tam
- Real Estate Fraud
- Rule 9(b)
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- Shipping Industry
- Taxpayers Against Fraud
- Unnecessary Medical Services and Procedures
- Upcoding
- Whisteblower Awards
- Whistleblower Information