January 30, 2015
Mortgage Fraud
Following the 2008 housing crisis, the federal government went to great lengths to ensure struggling homeowners were afforded every possible opportunity to keep their homes. One such effort, known as the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), was enacted in 2009 to help borrowers who were “upside down” or “underwater” on […]
January 29, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
The False Claims Act contains certain restrictions pertaining to kickbacks offered to physicians treating patients enrolled in government healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. The anti-kickback provisions prohibit any doctor from receiving – or any pharmaceutical company from offering – incentives or benefits in exchange for the provider’s agreement to […]
January 28, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
According to a recent press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, a California-area hospital has agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle claims it unlawfully submitted false claims to the government for reimbursement on behalf of Medicare patients. Like many healthcare claims, the allegations against St. Helena Hospital involve […]
January 27, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In a somewhat harrowing set of facts, the Medical College of Wisconsin – located in Milwaukee – is alleged to have allowed medical residents the opportunity to perform neurosurgery on patients without proper supervision from teaching physicians. The case, which recently settled for $840,000, came about following the filing of […]
January 26, 2015
Contractor Fraud
The federal False Claims Act got its start addressing costly and wasteful fraud under defense contracts executed during the American Civil War. Since that time, it has proven highly successful in exposing and redressing this sort of wasteful misconduct, including a recent settlement with aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin. In today’s […]
January 23, 2015
Contractor Fraud
When a private company enters into a contract with the federal government, the terms contained within the agreement must be adhered to in order to avoid exposure to False Claims Act liability. One foundational requirement is that, during the negotiation phase of the contract, companies must be truthful, forthcoming, and […]
January 22, 2015
General
Over the past several years, there have been several lawsuits and allegations made involving for-profit universities essentially swindling unsuspecting college students out of their tuition money in exchange for a sub-par education that does not meet general academic standards. For instance, several claims have been made about Tier 4 law […]
January 21, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In January 2015, two parent companies of the Pennsylvania-based Easton Hospital agreed to pay $662,000 to settle claims of false billing and unlawful practices involving Medicare and Medicaid patients. Northampton Hospital Co. LLC and Northampton Hospital Corp. agreed to the settlement following the filing of a formal complaint under the […]
January 20, 2015
Medicaid Fraud
DaVita Healthcare Partners is one of the nation’s leading providers of dialysis services, with clinics in 46 states. DaVita agreed to one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements in fiscal year 2014 with regard to its alleged submission of false claims to programs like Medicare and Medicaid for reimbursement. As […]
January 19, 2015
Contractor Fraud
The Massachusetts False Claims Act has proven time and time again to be a vital component in the war against fraud and wasteful misuse of taxpayer money. In other posts, we have discussed settlements with companies like Office Depot and an environmental cleanup outfit, both of which settled allegations of […]
January 16, 2015
Commodities Futures Trading Fraud
Following in the footsteps of government agencies like the SEC and IRS, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) had an eventful fiscal year 2014, resulting in its first-ever whistleblower reward and a significant jump in complaints over fiscal year 2013. Much like the qui tam provisions of the False Claims […]
January 15, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
Patient records are considered highly confidential and are protected from unlawful dissemination by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPPA”). However, in light of a healthcare fraud-based False Claims Act allegation, how do patient confidentiality laws intersect with the rights of plaintiffs to expose healthcare facilities alleged […]