August 17, 2015
False Claims Act Information
A defendant may be liable under the False Claims Act on two different theories: the presentment of factually false claims and the presentment of legally false claims. A claim is factually false when a government payee submits information that is untrue on its face and misrepresents the goods or services […]
August 14, 2015
Military Contractor Fraud
Aside from healthcare fraud, defense contractor fraud remains one of the top forms of waste and abuse addressed by the False Claims Act. Too often, big-budget defense contracts serve as fodder for dishonest companies to inflate and exaggerate costs, resulting in unnecessary spending of an already-strained defense budget. In one […]
August 13, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
As one of the leading and most successful whistleblower law firms in the United States, Berger Montague is pleased to announce its involvement in a $55.5 million settlement involving three major players in the pharmaceutical industry. This past July, Berger Montague announced the settlement against AstraZeneca, Cephalon, Inc., and BioGen, […]
August 12, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In yesterday’s post, we introduced an emerging concept known as “balance billing,” which results in skyrocketing medical expenses and increased medical debt for unsuspecting patients. As a brief review, balance billing occurs when a patient seeks treatment from an out-of-network doctor, who then bills the patient for the maximum allowable […]
August 11, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
At Berger Montague, we strive to keep on top of the latest emerging trends in the fraud landscape, particularly when the misconduct drives up the costs of healthcare for policyholders and taxpayers alike. Over the next two posts, we will examine an emerging fraud trend known as “balance billing,” which […]
August 10, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
One of the key components of the success of the False Claims Act is its ability to incentivize whistleblowers to come forward by offering up to 30 percent of the total settlement in some cases. In today’s post, we examine an interesting holding by the U.S. District Court for the […]
August 7, 2015
Military Contractor Fraud
False claims occur in virtually every aspect of federal contract work. In today’s case, we look at a recent multi-faceted settlement, the details of which have been ongoing for most of 2015, involving relocation services for U.S. military members. The case was brought to light by several employees of the […]
August 6, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In yesterday’s post, we introduced a possible correlation between the growth of Medicare spending on highly-addictive prescription drugs and potential Medicare fraud by wayward retail pharmacies. As a bit of review, spending for Medicare Part D administration has increased 136 percent overall since 2006. However, spending for opioids – including […]
August 5, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
Over the next two posts, we will examine a recent report published by the Office of Inspector General, along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In the report, which is entitled “Questionable Billing and Geographic Hotspots Point to Potential Fraud and Abuse in Medicare Part D,” authorities […]
August 4, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In 2014, we covered the government’s decision to intervene in a False Claims Act lawsuit involving several Central Georgia-area hospitals and possible Medicaid fraud. As a bit of review, the case involved several hospitals, including Tenet Healthcare, Health Management Associates, and Clinica de la Mama, an OB/GYN facility geared toward […]
August 3, 2015
False Claims Act Legal News
An indexed universal life insurance policy is a financial product designed to offer policyholders a variable return rate on their insurance funds, usually tied to the daily rates as set by entities like Standard & Poor’s. More specifically, these policies – which are predominantly similar to traditional universal life insurance […]
July 30, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In one of the largest potential whistleblower settlements[1. http://taf.org/blog/costly-kickbacks-novartis-potentially-faces-3-billion-fines] to date, drug maker Novartis is facing a staggering $3.35 billion in fines and penalties from the Department of Justice over two of its best-selling prescription medications: Exjade and a treatment for kidney transplant patients. In a separate concurrent whistleblower lawsuit against the […]