Category: Federal False Claims Act

Virginia Company will pay $343,000 to settle Medicare fraud claim

On Tuesday, July 22, 2014, a federal judge in Pittsburgh approved a settlement in which a Virginia-based medical research firm will pay $343,000 to the U.S. to settle claims that it defrauded the government by improperly marketing genetic tests to patients at a Green County medical office.

The Justice Department asserts that American International Biotechnology (“AIB”) and a former contract sales agent,

Kickback Case Survives Motion to Dismiss

A fraud suit alleging that five hospitals in the south bribed local clinics to refer undocumented immigrants to the hospitals to give birth has survived a motion to dismiss.

 

In the suit, captioned U.S. ex rel. Williams v. Health Management Associates (M.D. Ga.), a whistleblower alleges that the Georgia- and South Carolina-based hospitals paid local clinics fees,

Armstrong FCA Suit Cycles Onward

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has been no match so far for the False Claims Act.

A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Friday denied Armstrong’s request to dismiss the FCA suit brought against him by former teammate Floyd Landis and the federal government.  The suit alleges fraud against the U.S.

Order in the Clinic de la Mama Kickback Case

US Dist. Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Athens Division

While this is a straightforward and simple kickback case (kickback for the referral of undocumented pregnant women eligible for Medicaid), The Order “knocks down multiple motions to dismiss and does it with a flourish and in detail.” Both DOJ and the State of Georgia intervened in this case.

Third Circuit Adopts a More Lenient Approach on How Whistleblowers Must Plead False Claim Suits

This month, The Third Circuit, became the latest appeals court to reject a stricter pleading standard typically applied by four circuits when interpreting Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b), which states that fraud suits must describe misconduct “with particularity,” demanding that complaints include samples of actual false claims.  In a unanimous decision,

Where’s the Beef? High Court Approves Deceptive Advertising Claims Based upon Allegedly False Descriptions of Food and Drink

Under the Lanham Act, one can bring a suit claiming that the defendant has engaged in unfair competition by using misleading advertising or labeling.  The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) prohibits, among other things, the misbranding of food and drink.  Under the FDCA, the United States is generally the only one who can initiate an action against someone who has used false or misleading labeling. 

Judge Turns Down For-Profit Educator’s Efforts to Dismiss Whistleblowers From Lawsuit

Education Management Corp.’s efforts to dismiss two whistleblowers from a multibillion-dollar lawsuit were turned down by a federal judge on Wednesday, June 18th. EDMC argued that the whistleblowers only initiated accusations due to reading articles about concerns regarding for-profit colleges and that wouldn’t entitle someone to whistleblower status.

The two whistleblowers,

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