Sample Cases Filed under the False Claims Act
Information Provided by a Whistleblower Lawyer
According to the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund, False Claims Act judgments and settlements have totaled over $20 billion since 1986.
Below are some sample cases that demonstrate the types of fraud that are committed against the U.S. government, and the amounts some of the settlements can reach. The False Claims Act helps prosecute medical, Medicare, defense contractor, pharmaceutical, financial, and other types of fraud.
If you know of fraud perpetrated by an organization contracted to work with the government, contact a whistleblower lawyer at Mike Love & Associates LLC.
Sample Cases, False Claims Act
Pfizer: $1,000,000,000 paid under the False Claims Act. Pfizer paid a criminal fine for kickbacks and off-label marketing of drugs.
Tenet Heathcare: $900,000,000 paid under the False Claims Act. Tenet Healthcare was guilty of billing violations that included manipulating payments to Medicare as well as kickbacks, upcoding, and bill padding.
HCA: $731,400,000 paid under the False Claims Act. HCA (The Healthcare Company) was guilty of false billing practices that included billing for unnecessary procedures, upcoding medical problems in order to claim higher reimbursement, and billing for non-reimbursable costs associated with home healthcare agencies.
New York State and New York City: $540,000,000 paid under the False Claims Act. New York State and New York City resolved civil liabilities involving improper billing of physical and occupational therapy, psychological counseling and transportation of various public school students.
St. Barnabas Hospitals: $265,000,000 paid under the False Claims Act. St. Barnabas Hospitals was guilty in a case brought on by three whistleblowers of using “outlier” Medicare payments to claim that a procedure is excessively difficult or complex. Their claims in this area were 10 times the national average.
BankAmerica: $187,500,000 paid under the California False Claims Act. BankAmerica settled charges that it illegally kept unclaimed bond proceeds from various place in the state of California. This is the single largest False Claims Act payment to date for state actions.
Contacting a Whistleblower Lawyer
These cases demonstrate why the False Claims Act and the qui tam provision exist. Large companies are guilty of defrauding the U.S. taxpayers out of enormous sums of money, and often the only way to expose fraud is through the actions of a whistleblower.
If you know of a government contractor that is intentionally committing fraud, you have the legal tools available to take action as a whistleblower. It is not just the right thing to do—you receive compensation for your effort and honesty.
Contact a whistleblower lawyer at Mike Love & Associates LLC for a consultation on how you should proceed under the qui tam and False Claims Act. Your consultation is completely confidential, with no risk to your job security.