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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Reports on Cases Filed Against Government

As attorneys under the False Claims Act who represent Relators / whistleblowers in False Claims Act cases, we are interested in providing a free case evaluation to all persons who have knowledge of false claims against the government.

Our case evaluations take place across the country, including for Tennessee False Claims Act whistleblower cases, Kentucky False Claims Act whistleblower cases, Mississippi False Claims Act whistleblower cases, Arkansas False Claims Act whistleblower cases, or elsewhere.

In late May 2013, U.S. Renal Care, headquartered in Plano, Texas, agreed to pay $7.3 million dollars to resolve allegations that Dialysis Corporation of America (DCA) violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to Medicare programs for more epigone that was actually administered to dialysis patients at DCA facilities.  This is a common occurrence for medical providers that are committing fraud against the government.  Medical providers that commit fraud routinely do one of two things.  First, they bill for services that never even take place, or that are not medically necessary. Second, they perform too much services for what is actually needed for the treatment and care of a patient (either too much care, too much medicine, or too many appointments).

The resolution against DCA is part of the Government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud and another step for the healthcare fraud prevention and enforcement action team initiative, which was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in May 2009.  The partnership between the two departments has focused on efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss any potential case with you.  Worth noting,  a whistle blower under the False Claims Act is entitled to a Relator’s share of any recovery.  In the amount recovered in the case involving DCA, the Relator will receive $1.314 million dollars.

If you have any additional information about a potential fraud, please call us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Reports on Cases Filed Against Government

As attorneys under the False Claims Act, we wanted to spend this informational post with a brief explanation of the False Claims Act.  Abraham Lincoln first signed the False Claims Act (FCA) in 1863, and almost 150 years later, the United States Treasury recovered approximately five billion dollars in False Claims Act cases.  It is hopeful that persons will take a more aggressive role in blowing the whistle on frauds against companies and individuals in the months and years to come.

In 2009, Pfizer paid what was then a record $2.3 billion dollars to settle False Claims Act cases in parallel allegations.  In 2010, the government settled False Claims Act cases with AstraZeneca for $520 million dollars concerning the drug at issue, Seraquel.  In 2012, the government settled a False Claims Act case with Abbott Laboratories for $1.5 billion dollars over its illegal marketing of the anti-depressant medication Depakote to children and the elderly.  That settlement was the third largest payment by a drug company and it is perhaps the largest single drug settlement under the False Claims Act.

Because the settlement process may lack transparency, it does produce a clear record of wrongdoing against the company. For example, in one of the more egregious examples, the federal government continues to award Lockheed Martin Corporation about $35 billion dollars in contracts each year despite the Department of Justice’s intervention in a lawsuit against the defense giant stemming from the cleanup of the uranium enrichment plant in Kentucky.  In another example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Northdrop Grumman, a repeat False Claims Act violator, a multi-million dollar contract to create a predicative model that will detect fraud.

Our law firm is excited about the opportunity to discuss potential fraud against the government with individuals across the country, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky, and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss the specific facts of your case with you as soon as possible.  While no one case may award the types of monies that are listed in the above blog post, is does go to show that everyday persons have been willing to blow the whistle against fraud and assist the United States Government in recouping billions of dollars a year.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Reports on Cases Filed Against Government

As attorneys that represent Relators and/or whistle blowers under the False Claims Act, we wanted to provide certain descriptions of various cases that have been pending around the country in order to give our readers more of an idea about the types of cases that may show a fraud.  If you have knowledge about a potential fraud against the government for any one of these situations, or any other type of potential fraud, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.  This includes regardless if the fraud results in a Tennessee False Claims Act case, a Kentucky False Claims Act case, an Arkansas False Claims Act case, a Mississippi False Claims Act case or a false claims act in another state.

First, a Relator filed a lawsuit against Melodeum Labs of California, Inc. alleging that a laboratory and a multitude of unnamed physicians violated the False Claims Act when the laboratory encouraged the physicians to fraudulently bill federal healthcare programs.   The Relator, who had been employed by a different and competing laboratory, claimed that the defendant lab developed a urine drug testing program to help physicians monitor patient’s medications, and that the defendant’s business model allowed physicians to receive payments based upon their orders for the testing program.  The Relator alleged that because of that arrangement the lab was able to convince physicians to fraudulently bill the government by billing multiple times for single tests, bill for excessive testing and bill for medically unnecessary confirmation testing of negative results.

Another case was filed against Bright Star Educational Group in the Eastern District of California.  A group of five Relators filed a qui tam complaint against an education group and a technology institute, and all Relators were employed by the technology institute and alleged that the defendant submitted false claims to the United States Department of Education for Federal Student Financial Aid loans.  The Relators claim that the defendants entered into a program participation agreements with the Department of Education in which they agreed to comply with applicable regulations by providing recent, truthful job placement rate information to perspective students by not compensating employees based upon their success in securing student enrollments or financial aid benefits for students.  The Relators alleged that the defendants knowingly failed to abide by these terms, in that the requests for Department of Education funds were therefore based on false statements.

A third suit was filed against Kemps Surgical Appliance, Inc. in the Southern District of Ohio when a qui tam Relator filed suit against a medical supply company and its president alleging that the defendant violated a False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the federal government healthcare programs.  More specifically, the Relator alleged that the defendant improperly billed the government for customized surgical devices even though they used “off-the-shelf” devices and for add-on components to devices that were never actually provided.  The Relator also alleged the components were provided which had already been included as part of the base price of the device and that services were provided by unqualified and unsupervised personnel.  The case also included a claim for illegal kickbacks from a medical device manufacturer in exchange for purchasing the manufacturer’s equipment.  The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss holding that the Relator had adequately put the defendant on notice of the fraudulent allegations against them.

A final case that we wanted to briefly discuss was against Health Spring, Inc. in the Middle District of Tennessee.  There, a Relator filed an eight count qui tam action on behalf of the United States of America and the State of Tennessee alleging fraud and conspiracy under the False Claims Act against two medical centers and an individual who served as the director of both.  The Relator alleged that the defendants violated the anti-kickback statute in the civil anti-inducement act by providing free luxury transportation and meals to Medicare patients without regard to medical necessity in order to improperly induce such patients to use the defendants’ services.  Due to these alleged violations, the Relator claimed that the defendants’ Medicare reimbursement claims for patients who were improperly induced were “false” for False Claims Act purposes.  Due to these alleged violations, the Relator claimed that the defendants’ Medicare reimbursement claims for patients who were improperly induced were “false” for False Claims Act purposes.  The defendants, however, moved to dismiss, and their motion was granted.

If you have any information about a similar type of false claims against the government, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may provide you with a free case evaluation.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Reports on Case Against Boston Scientific

As attorneys under the False Claims Act who help people nationwide with claims for fraud against the Government, including the States of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, we wanted to provide information that the Boston Scientific Unit cannot dodge False Claims Act claims or disqualify counsel from a particular law firm.

A Boston Scientific Corporation unit failed to shake a whistle blower claim in New Jersey Federal Court alleging that it illegally paid doctors to promote off label uses of its spine cord device and of billing Medicare and Medicaid for such uses.  Similarly, Boston Scientific was unable to have a particular law firm excluded from representing former employees making the allegations.  The decision was made by U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who ruled that the Relators had made sufficiently specific claims against Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation with enough details for their claims to proceed.  The Relators bringing the False Claims Act suit are two former employees of Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, Wendy Bahnsen and Carolina Fuentes who have worked in the firm’s billing department that sent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.  The Relators, which brought their claims in March 2011, accuse Boston Scientific of submitting fraudulent claims for its precision plus spinal cord stimulation system even when it was being used for off-label purposes and engaging in the kickback scheme with doctors.  Boston Scientific Corporation has denied all such allegations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the device in April 2004 to treat certain back pain, but it allegedly was also used for other purposes despite this approval.  The Relators also accused BSC of carrying out a kickback scheme through which it pushed the use of the device for non-approved purposes by providing free services to doctors.  The federal government chose not to intervene in this suit in February 2012, but the Relators have nevertheless continued ahead with the suit filing an amended complaint in September.

If you have knowledge concerning an individual or company that is defrauding the government, including for providing unnecessary medical treatment, off-label use of medical devices, or other areas, please contact us immediately for a free consultation.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Reports on Case Against Halifax Health

The United States Department of Justice is currently seeking up to $600 million dollars in damages in a False Claims Act lawsuit against Halifax Health.  The lawsuit is seeking between $350 and $600 million dollars in damages and penalties accusing the hospital of defrauding Medicare through illegal contracts with physicians.

The lawsuit is a False Claims Act lawsuit, and the Relator is Ellen Baklid-Kunz, a Halifax Health employee that brought a lawsuit in 2009 alleging that the hospital provided illegal kickbacks to doctors, improper admissions, and unnecessary spinal surgeries.  The United States Department of Justice joined the case in 2011 in support of some of the allegations.

In a motion for partial summary judgment filed last week, the United States Department of Justice asked for over $100 million dollars in damages and an additional $250 to $500 million dollars in penalties.  Halifax Health is a 678 bed public hospital system which is denying any and all liability in the case.  The government’s claims for damages are based on an alleged violation of the Stark law, which prohibits Medicare and Medicaid payments for hospital services that are prescribed by doctors who have profit-sharing agreements with a hospital.  The Department of Justice alleges in the case that Halifax Health knowingly violated the Stark Law from at least 2005 to 2009 by entering into employment agreements with six medical oncologists that compensated them based on the operating margin of the hospital’s oncology program.  The United States Department of Justice alleges that the hospital known as Halifax Health knowingly submitted thousands of false claims resulting in millions of dollars in payments.  The lawsuit is set for trial in November 2013, and as a Relator in the False Claims Act, Baklid-Kunz would be entitled to recoup anywhere from 15% to 25% of the damages awarded in the case.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Lawyer Discusses UCI (California Irvine) Settlement

As attorneys under the False Claims Act, it is interesting to see that UCI Medical Center in California has agreed to pay $1.2 million dollars to settle claims that its hospital violated federal laws by routinely allowing residents to administer anesthesia with no supervision by physicians and then billing Medicare as if the doctors were present.  The settlement comes after a multi-year federal investigation that was triggered by a whistle blower complaint filed by Dr. Dennis O’Conner.

O’Conner and the lawsuit filed under the Qui Tam provisions of the False Claims Act allege that the University had “pre-filled” records to make it appear that a physician was present when patients received anesthesia administered by residents or certified nurse anesthetists.  In many instances, however, the physician was in a different building at the time.  In one case, a patient had a heart attack while undergoing anesthesia.  During the heart attack, there was no physician present to intervene and the patient survived.

Dr. O’Conner’s complaint also named seven UCI physicians as defendants.  He said that each of them had either filled out false surgical records or had participated in creating schemes to falsely bill Medicare and Medi-Cal for services.  Those physicians included Dr. Peter Breen and Dr. Cynthia Anderson, who are both former chairs of the anesthesiology department and continue to work at the hospital.  John Murray, the medical center’s public information officer, said the University did not want to say more than its written statement.  The case was not the first time that investigators found problems in the medical center’s anesthesiology department.  In 2008, Medicare officials threatened to cut the University’s funding after inspectors found doctors had falsified surgical records by filling them out before patients got to the operating table.  In 2010, the State Medical Board disciplined Dr. Breen.  The professor admitted that in 2006 that he had falsely filled out a surgery form for a cataract patient in advance of surgery, describing the patient as stable and comfortable.

If you have any information concerning unnecessary medical treatment that was performed or otherwise can blow the whistle on alleged fraud, please contact us immediately for a free case evaluation.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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

We are attorneys that investigate False Claims Act cases nationwide, including in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and elsewhere for Medicare fraud, tax fraud, contractor fraud and more against a range of employers including healthcare providers, medical device companies, defense contractors, and pharmaceutical companies. We stand ready to provide a free case evaluation to you; please call us today.

False Claims Act Lawyer Discusses Grace Healthcare Settlement

As attorneys under the False Claims Act, it was interesting to see that a Tennessee nursing home has agreed to pay $2.7 million dollars for False Claims Act violations.  The nursing home company, Grace Health Care, LLC, owns and/or manages facilities in Tennessee and other areas.  Allegedly from 2007 to 2011 Grace provided unnecessary physical, occupational and speech therapy to ten facilities to increase the amount of therapy to patients to meet their goals for Medicare revenues.  Medicare revenue goals were set without regard to patient’s individual therapy needs.

According to the settlement, Grace has agreed to enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides that procedures and reviews in order to assist with avoiding and detecting conduct of this nature.  Stewart F. Delery Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice stated “In today’s economic climate, it is more important than ever for the United States to make sure that Medicare and Medicaid funds are spent appropriately.  The Department of Justice will not tolerate those who abuse Government healthcare programs by providing services based on their own financial considerations, rather than the needs of their patients.”

The claim arose based upon a whistle blower that was a former Grace employee.  The whistle blower filed a lawsuit pursuant to the qui tam statute of the False Claims Act.  The whistle blower will receive $405,000 as a result of the case United States of America and State of Tennessee Ex Rel Ottinger v. Grace Healthcare, LLC, filed in the Eastern District of Tennessee Federal Court.  Worth noting, the United States Department of Justice has used the False Claims Act to recover $10.2 billion dollars since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal healthcare programs.  Total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $14 billion dollars.

If you have any information concerning a claim under the False Claims Act for unnecessary medical care and treatment, please contact us immediately for a free case evaluation.

THE SCOPE OF FRAUD

Amazingly, some estimates have suggested that approximately 10% of the entire annual United States budget is lost to companies or individuals who are defrauding the government. The United States Federal budget for 2010 was $3.456 billion, meaning around $345.6 million was wrongfully wasted on fraud.

The entities defrauding the government do so in a variety of ways: Medicare or Medicaid fraud whereby they bill the government for services which they never provided or overbill for services that were provided; SEC Trading; Tax Fraud; TARP Fraud; Military/Defense contract fraud; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing;contract fraud involving any number of large government spending programs; or other types public benefit fraud.

HELPING THE PUBLIC.

As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like. We will nevertheless investigate claims in a variety of areas.

Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. The phrase is qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, or, “he who sues for the king as well for himself.”

These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

TYPES OF CASES

The most common situations that could form the basis of a Qui Tam action include:

• Submitting a false or fraudulent record, bill or statement to the government in order to fraudulently obtain money such as reporting a medical service that was never performed for Medicare or Medicad;
• Conspiring with a third party to submit or present have a false or fraudulent claim to the government;
• Withholding property of the government with the intent to defraud or conceal the property from the government;
• Fraudulently buying property of the government from someone not authorized to sell that property; and
• Making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying money to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.

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.

CALL 1-800-632-1404

or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.