As we do every year, this issue revisits the key cases and other developments from the year gone by. And by most metrics, 2023 was a notable year for the False Claims Act (FCA).

We start with the numbers: The Department of Justice (DOJ) released its report on settlements and recoveries later than usual, with the figures not becoming public till mid-February. But while the timing was different, the content was much the same. In fiscal year 2023, DOJ recovered over $2.68 billion in settlements and judgments from civil FCA cases. That represents an increase of nearly $500 million from 2022 when the total was just over $2.2 billion.

Once again, the healthcare industry led the way among targeted industries with over $1.8 billion — nearly 67% of the total amount — in recoveries. That marks the ninth consecutive year that the healthcare industry had the largest share of recoveries.