Category: Investigations
Takeaway: Misconduct in the multitrillion dollar derivatives market can lead to massive recoveries for the government and whistleblowers alike. Even when the CFTC is already on the case, a whistleblower who tips off the government during an ongoing investigation may remain eligible for an award if they provide original information that “substantially contributes” to a successful enforcement action.
Takeaways:
- Individuals should be wary of the Speaker Programs they choose to attend. Simply attending a Speaker Program where alcohol or an expensive meal is served can be viewed as remuneration in violation of the AKS.
- HCPs should be extremely selective of the Speaker Programs they choose to participate in.
- January 18, 2021
- Construction, Defense Industry, Federal False Claims Act, Financial Industry, Government Contracts, Healthcare, Investigations, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Part D, Pharmaceuticals, Research, State False Claims Acts
Takeaways:
- Over $300 million awarded to whistleblowers.
- Dip in recoveries reflects pandemic and economic challenges.
- Number of FCA filings hits a record.
- Healthcare continues to dominate FCA recoveries with kickbacks a major focus.
- Rebound in recoveries is likely as defendants regain financial footing.
On April 16, 2020, the Honorable William M. McSwain, United
States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, issued a sweeping
request for help in identifying companies and individuals who seek to “exploit
the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic for their own benefit.” The
Philadelphia United States Attorney’s Office has a long history fighting fraud.
On Sept. 27, the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against 35 individuals across various jurisdictions, allegedly involved in genetic testing fraud schemes that cost taxpayers over $2.1 billion.
The government asserted that the individuals had engaged in audacious schemes to target seniors and the disabled through the ordering of cancer genetic screening,
The United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently announced that PharMerica Corp. will pay $31.5 million, including more than $4 million to a whistleblower, to settle alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) and False Claims Act (“FCA”) related to the company’s improper dispensing of narcotics and submission of false claims to Medicare Part D.
The Justice Department announced that it has reached a $1.25 million settlement with ev3, a medical device manufacturer base in in Minnesota. Ev3 formerly was known as Fox Hollow Technologies. A lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act alleges that between 2006-2007, Fox Hollow induced 12 hospitals in 9 states to admit patients who were undergoing elective atherectomy procedures.
In another win for the HEAT (Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team) initiative, EBI, LLC, a medical device company in Parsippany, New Jersey, doing business as Biomet Spine and Bone Healing Technologies and Biomet, Inc., will pay $6 million to resolve allegations of violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
The First Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that False Claims Act defendants can deduct portions of their civil settlement payments if the parties have not, in negotiating a settlement, agreed to the tax consequences and the payment is considered compensatory as opposed to punitive.
Between 1993 and 1997,
The New York Times published an article noting that, despite huge investments in preventing Medicare fraud—up to $600 million a year—fraud against the program persists to the tune of $60 billion, which is equivalent to 10% of Medicare’s cost. For example, last year, the federal government was only able to recover $4.3 billion.
