The U.S. Department of Justice announced late last year that it would utilize the False Claims Act, the U.S. government’s primary civil tool to redress false claims for federal funds and property, to bring actions against U.S. government contractors and subcontractors who do not meet the cybersecurity requirements of a particular contract or grant. The … Continue Reading
The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently announced its largest ever health care fraud and opioid enforcement action. In a coordinated effort, DOJ charged 345 defendants with more than $6 billion in fraud losses for submitting false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers.… Continue Reading
Whistleblowers watch from inside when a business receives stimulus money. Whistleblowers, with their unique access to business operations, follow the money to learn whether the business abides by the strings attached to that money. Whistleblowers look for an opportunity to cash in on what they consider fraudulent conduct. What’s a business to do?… Continue Reading
Third Circuit Clarifies Public Disclosure Bar in False Claims Act In United States v. Omnicare, Inc., the Third Circuit clarified the operation of the public disclosure bar in the False Claims Act (FCA). The court held that publicly available information “could not have reasonably or plausibly supported an inference” of fraud. This information included government … Continue Reading
Government fraud settlements are getting more personal. Which means the Yates memorandum is having its intended effect. Issued in 2015, the memo requires that government attorneys focus more on individual liability when resolving fraud investigations. For example, that year only 6 settlements imposed personal liability on physicians settling complaints filed under the False Claims Act. According to … Continue Reading
Effective training prepares contractors and providers to recognize more than kickbacks. The example below reveals that not all kickback violations are intuitively obvious. What seems a clear violation to those familiar with anti-kickback and false claims statutes, may seem just a straightforward business arrangement to someone unfamiliar with them. After all, what is wrong when providers … Continue Reading
June 16, 2017, marks the one-year anniversary of the precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court decision in Universal Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar (Escobar), which approved the implied false certification theory as a basis for liability under the False Claims Act (FCA). Because the decision impacts every provider who supplies goods and services to … Continue Reading
