As a Memphis, Tennessee qui tam and whistleblower attorney, I wanted to make you aware of a recent qui tam settlement as reported by the LA Times.
Medical lab services provider Quest Diagnostics Inc. has agreed to a $241 million settlement in a whistle-blower lawsuit filed against the company over fraudulent Medi-Cal charges. The settlement was the largest in the state’s history under the California False Claims Act. On top of the fraudulent charges, the lawsuit also alleges Quest “paid illegal kickbacks to doctors, hospitals and clinics that sent patients their way.” Worth noting, Vice President and General Counsel for the company proclaimed “We paid [the $241 million] to get this behind us.”
Quest was actually already under a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the federal government from April 2009, which can be read by clicking HERE.
Tennessee workers and workers 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 Tennessee whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.
In Tennessee and all across the country, whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In Tennessee, 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. 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.
For more information, please contact Tennessee whitsleblower and qui tam attorney Ed Wallis at 1-800-632-1404 or send Mr. Wallis an email below for a free initial consultation.