February 4, 2014
False Claims Act Information
The federal False Claims Act, which has been around since the Civil War era, receives plentiful coverage through the media and blogosphere. However, few people realize that a majority of U.S. states have enacted similar or identical legislation to protect their citizens from fraud on the local level. It is […]
February 3, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
Fraud against Medicare and Medicaid is a growing problem that cost U.S. taxpayers over $68 billion last year. Amid growing concerns about this crime, Florida’s senior population has decided to band together in order to patrol and deter this type of misconduct. The False Claims Act is routinely implemented in […]
January 31, 2014
False Claims Act Legal News
The United States Department of Justice opted to intervene in a whistleblower case, filed in 2011, alleging faulty background checks performed by a private government contractor, United States Investigations Services, LLC (USIS). In the original whistleblower complaint, filed by former USIS employee Blake Percival, allegations suggest that USIS failed to […]
January 30, 2014
False Claims Act Legal News
The False Claims Act is designed, in part, to protect taxpayers from paying for services reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid that either did not take place or did not conform to Medicaid and Medicare guidelines. One common example of non-conformation involves submission of claims for medical services performed by a […]
January 29, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
When a medical services provider agrees to work with patients receiving Medicare or Medicaid, it must abide by certain guidelines and rules with regard to the services offered to that patient. Of course, medical services must meet industry standards and be performed by a licensed physician. In addition, Medicare or […]
January 28, 2014
SEC Fraud
In recent years, Congress expressed interest in mimicking the federal False Claims Act in an effort to identify, punish, and deter acts of fraud against taxpayers, investors, and the federal government as a whole in other areas. As a result, the 2010 Dodd Frank Act, which was drafted to implement […]
January 27, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
According to statistics, the False Claims Act is integral in punishing healthcare fraud involving Medicare and Medicaid. While these cases often involve fraud by physicians’ offices or pharmaceutical companies, the FCA covers any situation involving reimbursement of a claim through a federal healthcare agency. If any person or entity submits […]
January 23, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
As we have discussed in previous posts, the U.S. government has taken a hardline approach against unlawful kickback schemes within the healthcare industry. The government continues to prosecute companies found to be engaging in these schemes and continually reiterates its position that “[i]nvestigations such as these are a high priority […]
January 22, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
In Fiscal Year 2013, the False Claims Act recovered $3.8 billion in judgments and settlements – the highest amount ever in a single year. Many of these cases involved healthcare fraud; however, some interesting cases revealed that fraud can abound in virtually any area or industry. The following lists the […]
January 21, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
At the heart of medical ethics lies the presumption that patients should be able to choose their doctor, course of treatment, and medical care without outside influence by self-interested parties. This ethic guides an important policy prohibiting unlawful kickbacks between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, which is enforced under the False […]
January 20, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
The False Claims Act is drafted to prevent unlawful advancements of money from the federal government to contractors or entities doing business on behalf of federal programs. In recent years, one of the most frequent victims of fraud under the FCA is the Medicare program, which provides healthcare coverage for […]
January 17, 2014
Healthcare Fraud
Historically, the False Claims Act came about in response to improper claims for reimbursement under wartime defense contracts. However, the modern FCA is most often used to recover funds disbursed pursuant to unlawful invoices for healthcare services submitted to Medicare and Medicaid. In fact, healthcare fraud recovery is the largest […]