March 3, 2014
Military Contractor Fraud
The False Claims Act was encacted during the Civil War era and has been used countless times over the years to combat fraud in military and defense contracts. Defense contractors are required to only submit invoices for payment or reimbursement for services actually rendered. If a contractor inflates, exaggerates, or […]
February 28, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
It is unlawful for a pharmaceutical company to market a drug for purposes beyond those that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. When a company decides to sell a new drug to American consumers, the FDA ensures the drug is rigorously tested to reveal any deadly or […]
February 27, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
In yesterday’s post, we discussed the recent onslaught of fraud in the kidney dialysis industry. In a recent $389 million settlement involving dialysis clinic company DaVita Healthcare Partners, the federal government put a stop to a lucrative but illegal kickback scheme involving equity-for-referral agreements between the defendant and several kidney […]
February 26, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
Over the next two posts, we will explore an increasing fraud trend affecting the dialysis industry. As more and more Americans become dialysis-dependent, the opportunity to take advantage of government programs like Medicare and Medicaid grows – thereby creating an epidemic of niche fraud resulting in hundreds of millions of […]
February 25, 2014
Tax Fraud
The False Claims Act has been in existence since the Civil War era; however, it wasn’t until recently that other government agencies began to catch on to its effectiveness in catching and correcting fraud. In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service began implementing its own version of a whistleblower protection program […]
February 24, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
One of the hallmark goals of the False Claims Act is to help eliminate fraud and wasteful healthcare spending, thereby reducing healthcare costs for all Americans. In a recent settlement under the False Claims Act, a Kentucky-area addiction center and two of its physicians were found to be engaging in […]
February 21, 2014
False Claims Act Legal News
When a whistleblower plaintiff sets out to pursue her claim, she should begin by discussing the facts with a whistleblower attorney. If the claim seems likely to be meritorious, the attorney will file a complaint setting forth the facts and how the facts meet required legal thresholds. These thresholds are […]
February 20, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
Teva Pharmaceuticals, an Israeli-based drug maker, is at the mercy of the U.S. Department of Justice after allegations of False Claims Act violations surfaced late last year. The company is highly-respected for its Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease drugs, but has unfortunately been met with a subpoena for records pertaining […]
February 19, 2014
SEC Fraud
Under the 2010 Dodd Frank Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission was tasked with organizing and implementing a whistleblower program similar to the False Claims Act – which has proven widely successful since its inception in the 1800’s. As a result, the SEC worked tirelessly to create its Office of […]
February 18, 2014
False Claims Act Legal News
In a recent False Claims Act case out of Texas, industrial guardrail manufacturer Trinity Industries, Inc. is facing significant liability stemming from allegations it secretly altered its production and design of guardrails along national highways, resulting in catastrophic injuries and death for entangled motorists. More specifically, this case highlights an […]
February 17, 2014
General
The False Claims Act covers a wide array of fraudulent activities. In a case against cell phone accessory maker OtterBox, the federal government alleged its parent company, Otter Products, LLC, shortchanged the government’s Internal Revenue Service with regard to taxes due on imports from China. Under the False Claims Act, […]
February 14, 2014
Military Contractor Fraud
The history of the False Claims Act is steeped in combatting wartime fraud. While exploiting the U.S. government and its troops during times of war is hardly a new concept, its application has changed over time as technologies advance. In a recent case involving the Army Corps of Engineers, one […]