March 30, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In a rare turn of events, the Department of Justice has actually commended Michigan-based Portage Hospital, LLC after it opted to self-report various perceived violations of the False Claims Act by a member of its physical therapy staff. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement: “Portage Hospital is to […]
March 27, 2015
False Claims Act Legal News
The False Claims Act’s public disclosure bar prohibits any whistleblower from filing a claim if the facts of the claim are based on information that would be readily available to the public, regardless of whether the whistleblower actually knew about or reviewed the public information prior to initiating the lawsuit. […]
March 26, 2015
SEC Fraud
Implemented by the 2010 Dodd Frank Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains a growing whistleblower program. Much like the False Claims Act, the SEC’s program is designed to offer confidential consideration of fraud claims, as well as incentives for successful prosecutions of costly and wasteful securities fraud. In […]
March 25, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
There are three laws in place to address the impropriety of doctor kickbacks: the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Stark Law. These are three pieces of federal legislation enacted to punish and deter intentional fraud involving taxpayer funds. In the context of healthcare fraud, the acts are […]
March 24, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In a recent False Claims Act settlement between Dr. Charles Denham and the federal government, officials have revealed details of an alleged kickback scheme involving Dr. Denham and the medical corporation known as CareFusion. The case was brought to light following an extensive whistleblower investigation by the Department of Health […]
March 23, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
Despite the rampant efforts by the federal government’s H.E.A.T. task force, healthcare fraud and Medicare false claims continue to plague American taxpayers. When it comes to bilking federal healthcare agencies out of money, the following methods are some of the most common: Medically Unnecessary Procedures: Medicare and Medicaid guidelines expressly […]
March 20, 2015
Mortgage Fraud
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, which was primarily fueled by the housing bubble burst, many less-than-lawful residential home loan lenders have faced serious civil and criminal penalties for participating in shoddy underwriting practices, robo-signing, lax credit reviews, and outright fraud. Over the past several years, the U.S. […]
March 19, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
Medical practitioners seeking to treat Medicare patients are required to abide by the policy manuals and guidelines put out by the federal government. If a practitioner knowingly violates these mandates and intentionally bills Medicare for reimbursement despite the deviation, this could trigger False Claims Act liability. One of the more […]
March 18, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In a recent False Claims Act settlement out of California, an oncologist has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle claims of using and seeking reimbursement for unapproved chemotherapy drugs in violation of FDA regulations. This practice is just one type of dangerous healthcare fraud that, with the help of the […]
March 17, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
As we have previously reported on this blog, hospice care fraud is one of the major emerging trends facing the federal and state governments, costing millions of tax dollars annually in misspending and waste. In today’s case, we review a settlement involving a New York-based hospice center, which has agreed […]
March 16, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In a landmark healthcare fraud case, one Louisiana-based cardiologist recently closed the books on a concurrent criminal-civil crackdown on his fraudulent billing and accounting practices. The doctor, along with two medical offices, recently settled the civil False Claims Act side of the matter. The settlement occurred nearly seven years after […]
March 13, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice settled a major kickback case involving the pharmaceutical giant Teva Pharmaceuticals. As you may recall, Teva Pharmaceuticals was alleged to have offered lucrative kickbacks in the form of “consulting fees,” vacations, and other incentives to psychiatrists and treating physicians in exchange for their […]