Posts Tagged ‘whistleblower’
SCOTUS Ruling Gives Government Broad Authority in Dismissing FCA Whistleblower Cases
If a whistleblower files a False Claims Act lawsuit can the government dismiss the action? Yes, so long as the government first intervenes in the action. That was the recent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in a case styled United States el rel. Polansky v. Executive Health Resources, Inc., et al. The False Claims…
Read MoreTexas Drug Testing Lab to Pay Nearly $6M to Settle Kickbacks to Marketers, False Claims Act Violations
An Austin, Texas drug testing lab agreed to pay nearly $6 million to settle allegations it violated the Federal False Claims Act by paying volume-based commissions to marketers for six years.
Read MoreThe Federal Government Nets $2.2B in Settlements and Judgements Under the False Claims Act, Including $1.7B in Healthcare-Related Fraud
Settlements and judgements under the False Claims Act (FCA) surpassed $2.2 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022. Of that, $1.7 billion related to matters involving the healthcare industry, including drug and medical device manufacturers, durable medical equipment, home health and managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, and physicians. The government and…
Read MoreLawsuit Alleges Cigna Upcoded Tens of Thousands of Medicare Advantage Claims
The U.S. Department of Justice has joined a whistleblower lawsuit accusing Cigna Corp. of overbilling Medicare Advantage by submitting false patient diagnosis information to inflate payments The lawsuit seeks damages and penalties under the False Claims Act. The whistleblower lawsuit originally was filed in 2017 in the United States District Court for the Southern District…
Read MoreBilling Under Another’s Credentials Results in FCA Violation for Therapy Company
A Macon, Ga. rehab facility has been ordered to pay more than $9.6 million in damages after a district court judge ruled in favor of the government in a civil case alleging the fraudulent billing of hundreds of TRICARE and Medicaid claims. The order was the result of a judge’s recent ruling in which he…
Read MoreFlorida-based Consultant Resolves FCA Allegations
Ted Albin and his firm, Grapevine Billing and Consulting Services Inc., recently agreed to pay $50,000 to settle allegations they violated the False Claims Act (FCA). It was alleged that between 2008 and 2017 Albin and Grapevine provided consulting services to the now-defunct Arriva, its parent company Alere Inc., and Abbott Laboratories, and that from…
Read MorePharma Distributor Pays $13.1M to Settle FCA Allegations
Cardinal Health became the target of whistleblowers who alleged that the Ohio-based pharmaceutical distributor recruited new customers by offering and paying cash bonuses to physicians to purchase drugs from them instead of its competitors for use on Medicare and Medicaid patients in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act. As a result, the…
Read MoreDOJ recovers $5.6B in FCA Settlements/Judgments
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced it had taken in more than $5.6 billion in False Claims Act (FCA) settlements and judgments in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2021. That’s the second largest annual total in the history of the FCA and the largest in seven years. In FY 2020, DOJ’s recoveries…
Read MoreTwo Companies Settle FCA Case with Five Whistleblowers Involved
A home healthcare business and affiliated company have settled claims brought about by a group of whistleblowers who alleged they submitted false claims for payment of lab and diagnostic testing services that were performed between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2015. The providers, U.S. Medical Management, LLC and VPA, P.C. of Michigan, are alleged…
Read MoreSouth Carolina Healthcare Clinics to Pay $140M in Default Judgements
A group of South Carolina pain management clinics, drug testing labs and a substance abuse counseling center owe the government $140 million in default judgements after failing to defend against charges relating to federal anti-kickback laws and False Claims Act violations. Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered…
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