Bills signed by Governor Larry Hogan, Speaker of the House Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller include, expanding the Maryland False Claims Act protecting whistleblowers.
Whistleblowers will be enticed to report fraud in companies doing work for state and local governments through the new Maryland False Claims act,
Speaking at a Fordham University School of Law event on Friday, March 6, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara said that whistleblower bounties and leniency agreements could be useful tools for uncovering public corruption. Bharara is the latest law enforcer to endorse the benefits of rewarding tipsters who come forward with information about misconduct.
The West Virginia House of Delegates has refused to adopt false claims legislation for the state.
The Government Fraud Prevention Act, previously known as the False Claims and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2014, was intended to uncover fraud against the state, would have given the West Virginia Attorney General the power to investigate such activity and would have permitted individuals to bring suit against anyone who knowingly caused the state to pay a false claim.
On Thursday, the West Virginia House Judiciary Committee again sent legislation which would establish a West Virginia False Claims Act to the House of Delegates.
According to House Judiciary Chairman Timothy Manchin, the leadership of the House asked the Judiciary Committee to re-examine the legislation because of concerns that the bill would result in a wave of baseless lawsuits.
In early June, two Pennsylvania State legislators introduced House Bill 1493, a state version of the federal False Claims Act. The bill would reportedly provide the state with a crucial tool in fighting healthcare waste, fraud, and abuse.
“Pennsylvanians lose as much as $200 million a year through Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse,” said Democratic State Rep.
Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General, announced that Fougera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a New York-based subsidiary of Sandoz Inc., fraudulently reported inflated drug prices to the Medicaid program and will now have to pay up.
Under the settlement agreement, Fougera will pay the state and the federal government a total of $22.75 million.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Michael A. Morse, a partner in the law firm of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick and Raspanti, LLP, presented at the Thirteenth Annual Pharmaceutical Regulatory and Compliance Congress and Best Practices Forum in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. The Compliance Congress is sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Compliance Forum,
California Govenor, Jerry Brown, recently signed into law AB 2492, amending California’s False Claims Act to “better conform it to requirements of the federal False Claims Act.”
The amended law becomes effective on January 1st, 2013. Some of the key changes include an award of up to 50% for the whistleblower from the proceeds ultimately paid out by the defendant.
HCA, one of the largest for-profit hospital chains nationwide, has agreed to pay the United States and the state of Tennessee $16.5 million to settle allegations arising from its Parkridge Medical Center facility in Chattanooga. A financial arrangement between Parkridge Medical Center and physician group Diagnostic Associates of Chattanooga triggered the allegations that Parkridge violated the False Claims Act and the Stark Statute.
New York Downtown Hospital, located in lower Manhattan near New York City’s financial district, will pay $13.4 million to settle two lawsuits pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
The lawsuits entitled United States and New York State ex rel.
If you are aware of any person, corporation or entity that you think may be violating the Federal False Claims Act or a State False Claims Act, contact us today.