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Tennessee False Claims Lawsuit: Qui Tam Whistleblowers Win Awards for Medicaid Funds Recovery

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FALSE CLAIMS FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

In February 2014, AIM Healthcare Services paid $800,000 following a litigation filed under the provisions of the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act. The qui tam whistleblower lawsuit brought against the healthcare services provider by one of its employees had claimed that a Chattanooga-based TN mental health facility operated by AIM defrauded TennCare and Medicaid funds by submitting false claims.

The plaintiff’s TN false claim lawyer spearheading the whistleblower lawsuit accused the healthcare services provider of overcharging for psychosocial rehabilitation and resorting to “upcoding,” which is an offense under the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act. Upcoding refers to submitting false claims for providing “lengthy and expensive” services. The center claimed full-day reimbursements for services that were actually did not go beyond minutes or an hour.

In March 2013, Grace Healthcare settled a similar whistleblower lawsuit filed under the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act for $2.7 million. It was alleged that 10 Tennessee nursing homes run by the company defrauded Medicare funds by administering unnecessary therapies, including occupational and speech ones, to patients to make higher reimbursement claims. The whistleblower received $405,000 as reward.

Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act

The state legislature passed the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act, an exclusive law covering fraudulent Medicaid claims, in 1993. It allows filing of qui tam whistleblower lawsuits filed in consultation with expert Tennessee false claim lawyers against anyone for submitting false claims to seek money from the government-funded healthcare program. Amended in 2013, the act provides for comprehensive penalty against those guilty of misappropriation of state funds or violation of paying obligations.

Defendants found to be guilty are imposed a fine that is usually three time more than the amount in question. Additionally, they have to pay a fine between $5,000 and $25,000.

Qui Tam Whistleblowers Reward, Protection

A qui tam relator filing a whistleblower lawsuit with the help of a qualified TN false claim lawyer stands to receive rewards varying between 15 and 25 percent of the total money recovered or settled for. The Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act provides for a reward of between 25 percent and 33 percent of total recovery for the relator when the state agrees to become a party to proceedings. The payment goes up to become 30 percent of the settlement money, if the relator proceeds with his own TN false claim lawyer.

The Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act also provides for protection to the whistleblower from any type of retaliation by the defendant.

$387 Million Paid as Whistleblowers Reward Last Year

In 2013, whistleblowers were rewarded with more than $387 million for their false claim lawsuits leading to recovery of federal funds exceeding $3 billion. There were 846 false claim lawsuits filed nationwide last year, and a whopping 89 percent of these litigations were brought by quit tam whistleblowers and their false claim lawyers.

A large number of TN whistleblower lawsuits filed in 2013 were against hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. Other defendants included researchers for defrauding cancer research fund, schools for embezzling financial aid, technical service providers for violating state procurement rules, construction firms for double billing, and businessmen for upcoding and false billing.

FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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    Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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    Can anyone other than the First to File recover monies under the False Claims Act?

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    FALSE CLAIMS FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

    One of the questions we routinely receive as False Claims Act attorneys is who is allowed to recover moneys as a Relator under the False Claim Act.  There is a rule known as the first to file rule that prohibits recovery by a second (or later) Relators.

    The False Claims Act first to file rule provides that “when a person brings a [false claims act action], no person other than the Government may intervene or bring a related action based on the facts underlying the pending action.”  31 U.S.C. § 3730(B)(5). The rule is jurisdictional meaning it prohibits a court from granting subject matter jurisdiction to any second (or later in time) Relators.  United States Ex Rel Poteet v. Medtronic, Inc., 552 F.3d 503, 516 (6th Cir. 2009). “The basis for jurisdiction must be apparent from the facts existing at the time the complaint was brought.”  Id. 511.  As such, the rule “ambiguously establishes a first to file bar, preventing successive plaintiffs from bringing related actions based on the same underlying facts.”  Walburn v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 431 F.3d 966, 971 (6th Cir. 2005).  (“quoting United States Ex Rel Lujan v. Hughes Aircraft Co., 243 F.3d 1181, 1187 (9th Cir. 2001)).

    In the event that a second in time or later Relator tries to file a claim, the District Court must compare the allegations in the first complaint to the allegations in the second filed complaint to determine if the first to file rule is implicated.  See Walburn, 431 F.3d at 971.  If both complaints alleged “all the essential facts of the underlying fraud,” then the second action will be barred as a matter of law. Id.  The so-called policy behind this rule is that it “furthers the policies of emanating the False Claims Act by ensuring that the Government has notice of the essential facts of an allegedly fraudulent scheme while, at the same time, preventing “opportunists of plaintiffs from bringing parasitic lawsuits.”  Poteet, 552 F.3d at 516.  In other words, “duplicative claims do not help reduce fraud or return funds to the federal fisk, since once the government knows the essential facts of a fraudulent scheme, since once the government knows the essential facts of a fraudulent scheme, that has enough information to discover related frauds.  United States Ex Rel LaCorte v. Smithkline Beecham Clinical Labs, Inc., 149 F.3d 227, 234 (3rd Cir. 1998).

    For this reason, a purported Relator will lack standing to file a second, duplicative lawsuit and “collect the bounty. . .if someone else has filed the claim first.”  See Poteet, 552 F.3d at 515-16.  Courts across the country have agreed that the first to file rule is “exception free.”  United States Ex Rel Duxbury v. Ortho Biotech Products, LP, 579 F.3d 13, 32 (1st Cir. 2009).

    For these reasons, it is critical that if you or someone you know possesses information about a fraud against the government, whether it be Medicare fraud, governmental contracting fraud, or acting as an IRS whistleblower, that a false claim must be disclosed as soon as possible to an experienced qui tam attorney.  For more information, please contact us.

    FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

    We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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      Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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      Can A False Claim Act Be Filed for Failure to Disclose Information to the Government?

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      FALSE CLAIMS FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

      One question we receive as False Claims Act attorneys is can there be a false claim for the failure to submit information.  There can under limited circumstances.

      A False Claims Act provides that “any person who knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval” or who “knowingly makes, uses or causes to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim” is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty.  This is pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 37-29(a)(1)(A)-(B).  “The prima facie case under the False Claims Act requires that (1) the defendant made a claim against the United States, (2) the claim was false or fraudulent and (3) the defendant knew the claim was false or fraudulent.”  United States Ex Rel Raynor v. National Rural Utilities Coop Financial Corporation, 690 F.3d 951, 955 (8th Cir. 2012).

      A failure to disclose creates liability under the False Claims Act only when the defendant has an obligation to disclose the admitted information.  This was a holder in a prior False Claims Act in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1997, which held that a defendant University did not submit a false claim for grant funds or omitted certain information on its grant application where the federal agency awarding the grant did not require disclosure of the omitted information in the first place.  See United States Ex Rel Berge Board of Trustee of the University of Alabama, 104 F.3d 1453, 1461 (4th Cir. 1997).

      Therefore, where a Relator alleges that defendant’s failure to disclose or failure to act constitutes a false claim under the False Claims Act, the Relator must point to a clear requirement (including statutory or otherwise) that obligates a defendant to do so.  This holding was found in United States Ex Rel Ketroser v. Mayo Foundation, 729 F.3d 825, 831-32 (8th Cir. 2013).

      Furthermore, whether a statement may after federal funds are received constitutes a false claim under the False Claims Act depends on the purpose of the statement.  Where certifications are submitted as a prerequisite to release funds for subsequent budget period, false statements within those certifications are false claims under the False Claims Act.  See United States Ex Rel Bauchwitz v. Holliman, 671 F.Supp. 2d 674, 679 (ED. PA. 2009).   Accordingly, financial status reports submitted to the government to show how the recipients spent the funds it received are not false claims under the False Claims Act.  In fact, only those actions by the claimant which have the purpose and affect of causing the United States to pay out money it is not obligated to pay, where those actions which intentionally deprived the United States of money it is lawfully due, are properly considered “claims” within the meaning of the False Claims Act.”  See Costner v. URS Consultants, Inc., 153 F.3d 667, 677 (8th Cir. 1998).

      Liability under the False Claims Act will only attach where false statements are made in conjunction with a claim for payment.  For example, the Supreme Court “has cautioned that the False Claims Act was not designed to punish every type of fraud committed upon the government.  In order for a false statement to be actionable under the False Claims Act it must constitute a false or fraudulent claim.  The statute attaches liability, not the underlying fraudulent activity or to the government’s wrongful payment but to the claim for payment.”  See Harrison v. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., 176 F.3d 776, 785 (4th Cir. 1999).

      FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

      We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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        IRS Whistleblowers and The System They Face

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        IRS WHISTLEBLOWER CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

        Our firm has the privilege to represent Joseph Insinga who has filed a claim in United States Tax Court after his One Billion Dollar or more 2007 whistleblower submission resulted in a reap of financial gain for the Government.  The New York Times and author Gretchen Morgenson recently wrote about our client, and others, in the struggle to achieve a level and fair playing field in the world of the IRS whistleblower program.  The IRS Whistleblower Program is just one of many types of programs under the False Claims Act.

        We applaud Gretchen and her article, as well as other journalists who have recently touted about the IRS Whistleblower program (and its negatives).  Adam Resnick, for example, recently wrote extensively on the IRS Whistleblower Program on Huffington Post where he proudly and correctly noted that too many legislatures are silent on why the IRS (which is to aggressively seek the $385 billion underpaid per year) is so anti-whistleblower.

        Regardless of the present, our team of whistleblower lawyers stands ready to help you today.

        FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

        We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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          False Claim Involving National Quality Forum – The “Independent” Aren’t “Independent” It Seems

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          FALSE CLAIMS FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

          When it comes to Medicare Fraud, you would hope that the “independent” organizations running the government are not, in fact, in on the scam. A recent development, however, shows that may not be the case, as a high up administrator in the National Quality Forum allegedly received over Ten Million Dollars in kickbacks for his committee’s recommendation of potentially unsafe treatment methods and services. We initially blogged on this development HERE.

          Now, Senator Grassley is getting involved, demanding copies of contracts and conflict of interest policies for the NQF, says ProPublica author Marshall Allen. Sen. Charles Grassley cited “serious concerns” about how the National Quality Forum vets its expert advisers and suggested the group may have endorsed a drug for a use the government hasn’t approved.  The Quality Forum said it cut ties with Denham in 2010 and that the undisclosed money from CareFusion did not result in the panel recommending ChloraPrep, but that still raises some serious questions about the separation between a so-called independent agency (with a focus on protecting patients) and a company (with a focus on its bottom line).

          According to the Justice Department, ChloraPrep was being marketed for uses that were not medically acceptable or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.  ChloraPrep’s label says it is approved to “help reduce bacteria,” but that is different than the drugmaker’s claims that it reduced infections, according to court papers in the case. CareFusion settled with the government for $40 million without admitting wrongdoing.

          At the very least, there should be an investigation into whether independent agencies that make policy recommendations on patient safety should be allowed to accept any funds from any health care provider or medical drug/device company.

          FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

          We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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            Medicare Fraud Lawsuit Leads to Thirty Million Dollar Settlement

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            FALSE CLAIMS FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

            The False Claims Act allows relators (whistleblowers) to file a claim on behalf of the United States government to recover fraudulently received funds. One such case is proceeding in Missouri where a nursing home is being alleged of Medicare Fraud.

            Four businesses listed as defendants in a Medicare fraud case, which involved an alleged kickback scheme for providing contract therapy at 60 Missouri nursing homes, have agreed to pay the federal government $30 million, including RehabCare Group Inc. and RehabCare Group East Inc. paying $25 million and Rehab Systems of Missouri of Dexter, Mo., and Health Systems Inc. of Sikeston, Mo., paying $5 million.

            Under the False Claims act a person can serve as a relator and file a lawsuit to receive a portion of the funds eventually recovered by the Government.  A lawsuit is filed under seal, during which time the Government investigates potential wrongdoing.  This potential wrongdoing may lead to millions of dollars in recovery, such as this set of cases in St. Louis, Missouri. Under the government’s whistleblower program, Health Dimensions Rehabilitation, an employee-owned company, will receive a $5.7 million whistleblower award as its relator share. Health Dimensions Rehabilitation is a competitor of RehabCare, which had contracts with about 50 nursing homes in Minnesota, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

            “The case was settled — not because of any liability, but to avoid any further cost of litigation,” said attorney Scott Hinkle of St. Louis, who represented Health Systems. “If we went to trial, we were confident we could have won the case.” This seems somewhat interesting as Thirty Million Dollars seems a tad bit more than the normal amount of legal fees in a case.

            For more information on this story, please CLICK HERE.

            FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

            We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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              Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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              Kentucky False Claims Act A Possible Reality

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              CALL US TOLL FREE FOR HELP: 1-800-632-1404

              Our team of Kentucky False Claims Act lawyers was pleased to see in the news a recent string of settlements and news under the False Claims Act.  The first involves Kentucky House Speak Greg Stumbo’s efforts to pass a state version of the False Claims Act. There are already state false claims acts in dozens of states, including Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Virginia.

              Under the legislation, those found guilty would be liable for up to three times the amount they had fraudulently billed the state, and whistleblowers would be eligible to receive anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of the monies recovered as a reward for their service.  Other civil penalties and attorney fees would be an additional cost for those found guilty.

              While Stumbo has been unsuccessful in the past, he is hopeful that due to budgetary constraints, the Kentucky legislature will pass the state Kentucky False Claims Act this year.  Stumbo pointed to successes other states and the federal government have seen using their False Claims Acts.  During the 2012 fiscal year alone, according to the Taxpayers Against Fraud website, these governments saw more than $9 billion returned, $300 million of which came from a single case of Medicaid fraud in California.  It makes perfect sense for Kentucky to join the other states that have already received funds that should have never been paid or incurred in the first place. More information can be found by clicking HERE.

              Even though Kentucky does not have a state version of its False Claims Act, there is a federal cause of action under the qui tam statute.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to let us know today as we would be honored to speak confidentially to you about a Kentucky False Claims Act case.

              FOR FALSE CLAIMS ACT HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

              We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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                Newsweek’s Article on the IRS Whistleblower Program

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                REPORT IRS FRAUD: 1-800-632-1404

                The IRS Whistleblower Program

                One of our areas of practice is to help persons under the IRS Whistleblower program, part of our False Claims Act practice. In fact, one of the first submissions received under the new IRS Whistleblower Program was via one of our clients and prepared by a member of our team of attorneys.  You can read about Joseph Insinga by clicking HERE.

                That is one reason we recently read with delight an article in Newsweek entitled The Perks of Being a Whistle-blower by Lynnley Browning.  The article is telling about the positives and negatives of the Whistleblower Program. For example, a positive is the confidential nature of the program and the voluminous opportunities to report fraud.  Per Ms. Browning’s article, “the tax gap – the amount by which U.S. corporations underpay their federal income taxes – is $385 billion, according to the most recent IRS estimates in 2006.”

                The IRS whistleblower program requires the IRS to give up to 30% of all unreported taxes to the first in line.  So if the same person were to blow the whistle on all $385 million in one year?  That’s over $115 Billion in recovery. As in Billion with a “B.”

                Then again, Newsweek’s piece likewise reports it may be anywhere from 5-7 years before the first drop of money arrives to a whistleblower, as that is the average time it takes for the IRS to vet through the process of claims, audits, and appeals for the taxpayer.  There’s also a “mountain of paperwork” for whistleblowers to prepare, and that’s where retaining experienced whistleblower counsel counts. As mentioned, our firm has helped actual people under the IRS whistleblower program.

                All in all, I applaud Newsweek for their story on the IRS whistleblower program.  I would encourage Congress to pass more strict laws to require the IRS to more fairly and efficiently handle the Section 7623 program.

                FOR HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

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                  Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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                  Tennessee False Claims Act Attorney Discusses Government Contractor Fraud

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                  CALL US TOLL FREE FOR HELP: 1-800-632-1404

                  As Tennessee False Claims Act attorneys that represent individuals who want to blow the whistle on fraud, we wanted to advise that the Justice Department has filed a Complaint against Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc. and created companies for submitting false claims in connection with KBR’s contract with the Army to provide logistical support in Iraq.  KBR is an engineering, construction and services firm located in Houston, Texas.  KBR allegedly made claims to the government, knowingly false, under a contract with the Army to provide wartime logistical support under the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program III (LOGCAP III).  The award of LOGCAP III allegedly paved the way for the company to become a critical source for logistical support in Iraq including transportation, maintenance, food, shelter and facilities management.  A complaint filed in Rock Island, IllinoisFederal Court in 2003 and 2004 alleged that KBR employees took kickbacks from Kuwaiti companies in connection with the award and oversight of subcontracts awarded to those companies.  KBR then allegedly claimed reimbursement from the government for costs it incurred under the subcontracts that were allegedly inflated, excessive or for goods and services that were grossly deficient or never provided.

                  In merely one example, KBR allegedly awarded a subcontract to supply fuel tankers to a Kuwaiti company for more than three times the tanker’s value.  As another example, KBR allegedly continued to make monthly lease payments to First Kuwaiti for trucks KBR had already returned to the subcontractor, and then billed the government for the costs of both of these subcontracts.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rock Island has convicted ten companies and individuals in connection with wartime contracts in Iraq.  This includes certain persons pleading guilty for taking kickbacks in return for awarding First Kuwaiti subcontracts.  The original whistleblower, Bud Conyers, included in his complaint some of the allegations that were settled by way of the government’s current announcement.

                  If you have confidential information about a fraud against the government in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas or another state, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

                  FOR HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

                  We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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                    Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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                    Kentucky False Claims Act Lawyer: Hospital Fraud Discussed

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                    CALL US TOLL FREE FOR HELP: 1-800-632-1404

                    Our team of Kentucky False Claims Act lawyers would like to advise that The New York Times recently reported through contributors Julie Creswell and Reed Abelson that a hospital chain has been said to scheme to inflate its bills in violation of Federal law.  Health Management Associates is a for-profit hospital chain based in Naples, Florida, which kept tabs on an internal strategy that regulators and others say was intended to increase admissions, regardless of whether a patient needed hospital care, and pressure the doctors who worked at the hospital.  This month the United States Department of Justice said it had joined eight separate whistleblower lawsuits against H.P.M.A. in six states.

                    The lawsuits describe a wide ranging strategy, including billing software system fraud, financial incentives, and threats.  Those accusations include some against former Chief Executive Officers, who many of the whistleblowers point to as driving the strategy of fraud.  HMA is not the only hospital chain currently being investigated, as the New York Times reported that federal regulators have multiple investigations currently pending against other questionable hospital admissions, procedures and billings, including the country’s largest hospital chain, HCA.  Community Health Systems, based out of Franklin, Tennessee, sent its former Chief Executive in 2008 to HMA, and currently faces similar accusations that it inappropriately increased admissions to enhance the bottom line.

                    HMA also faces shareholder lawsuits and a federal securities investigation.  The New York Times points out a disappointing piece of evidence, that being that many companies consider false claims settlements to be a slap on the wrist and merely a cost of doing business when such settlements run only into the tens of millions of dollars.  The point is well made that a company should be punished with a $500 million dollar or more fine to serve as a deterrent to future conduct.  Only time will tell if such large hundred million plus settlements in the False Claims Act could truly serve as a deterrent to the widespread fraud that currently presides across the country.

                    Our firm has a team of whistleblower lawyers that want to help you with potential claims.  Whether it relates to appropriate medical services provided, up charging of medical products, billing fraud, governmental contract fraud including for disadvantaged or minority business enterprise, or more, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

                    If you have confidential information about a fraud against the government in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas or another state, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

                    FOR HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

                    We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

                    CALL 1-800-632-1404

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                      Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.