Surgeon To Pay Up to $43 Million for FCA Fraud -
A Michigan vascular surgeon, Vasso Godiali, was sentenced to 80 months in prison for defrauding health care programs in connection with his submission of false claims for...more
5/30/2023
/ Blue Cross ,
Blue Shield ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Convictions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare ,
Investors ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Wire Fraud
Federal Judge Affirms $487 Million Judgment Against Medical Device Distributor for FCA Violations -
On May 12, 2023, US District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright of the District of Minnesota affirmed the entry of a $487 million...more
Recent Interview With FCA Plaintiff Bar Attorneys Offers Key Insight into Trends in Anti-Kickback Litigation -
During a recent interview commemorating the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Anti-Kickback Statute, two...more
Anticipated Landmark Supreme Court Decision May Be Anything But On -
April 18, 2023, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a set of highly anticipated cases regarding the scienter—or knowledge—provision of the False...more
4/24/2023
/ Appeals ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Oral Argument ,
Penalties ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Restitution ,
SCOTUS
Supreme Court to Hear US Government in FCA Scienter Oral Argument -
On March 20, 2023, the US Supreme Court agreed to allow the federal government to participate in oral argument in the Supreme Court’s review of the...more
3/27/2023
/ Bribery ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Generic Drugs ,
Insurance Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Oral Argument ,
Scienter ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
DOJ Files FCA Complaint Against Major Pharmacy Retailer Based on Alleged Violations of Controlled Substances Act -
On March 13, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it filed a complaint in intervention...more
3/20/2023
/ Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Home Health Care ,
Investment ,
Nurses ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Sherman Act ,
Staffing Agencies ,
Wage-Fixing
SCOTUS Denies Cert In Cases Addressing FCA Pleadings Requirements -
On Monday, October 17, 2022, the US Supreme Court rejected three petitions asking the Court to resolve a circuit split regarding the Rule 9(b)...more
10/21/2022
/ CIGNA ,
Denial of Certiorari ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
SCOTUS ,
Solicitor General ,
TRICARE ,
Whistleblowers
DC Circuit Adopts Pro Tanto Approach to False Claims Act Settlement Offsets -
In an opinion issued on August 30, 2022, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit held in United States v. Honeywell International, Inc., ---...more
Lens Manufacturer Agrees To Pay $16.4 Million To Resolve Alleged Violations of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute -
Essilor International, Essilor of America, Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc., and...more
Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, Former Theranos President and COO, Found Guilty on All Twelve Fraud Counts in High-Profile Trial -
On July 7, 2022, a federal jury in the Northern District of California found Ramesh “Sunny”...more
7/11/2022
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Appeals ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
En Banc Review ,
Enforcement ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Settlement ,
Theranos ,
Unconstitutional Condition ,
Wire Fraud
On May 17, 2022, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued an opinion in a False Claims Act suit, narrowly interpreting the so-called “government-action bar.” The government-action bar, 31 USC § 3730(e)(3), forecloses...more
Federal Contractors Beware: Sixth Circuit Recognizes False Claims Act Exposure Based on Allegedly Inflated Labor Cost Estimates Leading To Firm-Fixed-Price Contract.
On May 16, 2022, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth...more
Hearing Aid Company Agrees To Pay $34.37 Million To Settle Claims That It Submitted False Claims to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program -
On Friday, April 29th, DOJ announced a $34.37 million settlement with...more
DOJ and Treasury Announce Multilateral Russian Oligarch Task Force Called “REPO” -
On March 16, 2022, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen met with representatives from Australia,...more
Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries.
DOJ Civil Cyber-fraud Initiative Obtains First Settlement -
The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, March 8th, that Comprehensive...more
3/11/2022
/ Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Settlement ,
Subcontractors
On February 1, 2022, a federal court in California issued the first major ruling in a False Claims Act case testing the Department of Justice’s newly minted Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, notching a win for the government. In...more
Sixth Circuit Rules That Statute of Limitations for FCA Retaliation Claims Is Triggered by Decision To Terminate, Not Notice of Termination -
On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, the Sixth Circuit held in El-Khalil v. Oakwood...more
DOJ Files Complaint in AWP False Claims Act Suit Against Pharmaceutical Ingredient Seller -
On November 8, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it intervened in a qui tam suit and filed a False Claims Act...more
11/15/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Bribery ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
FBI ,
Fraud ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Qui Tam ,
TRICARE ,
Whistleblowers
The Department of Justice recently announced a new initiative that aims to hold government contractors accountable when they fail to meet required cybersecurity standards.
In announcing the “Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative” in...more
11/3/2021
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
DFARS ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Fraud ,
Joe Biden ,
SCOTUS ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar
On July 26, 2021, a bipartisan group of senators, led by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), introduced the False Claims Amendments Act of 2021, a bill that would amend the False Claims Act (FCA) in several ways.
Four key...more
On August 2, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Arriva Medical LLC (Arriva), once the nation’s largest Medicare mail-order diabetic testing supplier, and its parent company, Alere Inc., have agreed to...more
8/9/2021
/ Bribery ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare ,
Money Laundering ,
Patients ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Settlement
On June 15, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a False Claims Act (FCA) suit against Paksn Inc., Prema Thekkek and one of its owners, and seven skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) owned by Thekkek and/or operated by...more
6/18/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Embezzlement ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ,
Fraud ,
Insider Trading ,
Kickbacks ,
Medical Directors ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Wire Fraud
COVID-19 Task Force Established to Enhance Enforcement Efforts against Fraud -
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney General announced the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force,...more
5/24/2021
/ Attorney General ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Falsified Documents ,
Fraud ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
OIG ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SBA ,
Vaccinations ,
Wire Fraud
Where’s the Beef? Two Charged with $650 Million Cattle Ponzi Scheme -
On May 12, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a federal district court in Colorado unsealed an indictment alleging that two individuals ran...more
5/17/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Markets ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Investment Fraud ,
Investment Funds ,
Mergers ,
Misrepresentation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Public Comment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State and Local Government ,
Stock Prices
Pharmaceutical Company Agrees to Pay $12.6 Million to Settle FCA Allegations Involving Kickbacks -
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced a $12.6 million settlement with Incyte Corporation, a Delaware...more
5/10/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Frivolous Lawsuits ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Money Laundering ,
Settlement ,
Telemarketing ,
TRICARE