One avenue for whistleblowers to take to report fraud against the government is to file a qui tam lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act. These lawsuits are complex because they have not two, but three parties to them –...more
7/24/2024
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Defense Strategies ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Grants ,
Fraud ,
Government Investigations ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Law Enforcement ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Qui Tam ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
The healthcare industry relies heavily on whistleblowers to bring fraudulent conduct and other forms of waste and abuse to the attention of regulators, law enforcement, and the public in general. If you have found signs of...more
6/25/2024
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Defense Strategies ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Retaliation ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes ,
Wrongful Termination
The federal government is continuing to rely heavily on whistleblowers in 2024. While there are now several federal whistleblower programs, the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act remain among the government’s most...more
The False Claims Act, sometimes referred to as the FCA, is an integral part of U.S. whistleblower law. By providing an avenue for individuals to blow the whistle on false or fraudulent claims that are being committed against...more
There are many junctures in the U.S. healthcare system that enable fraudulent activities, and one of the biggest has to do with pharmaceutical companies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of...more
4/2/2024
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Fraud ,
Manufacturers ,
Medical Devices ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
It does not happen often, but occasionally someone will stumble onto evidence that suggests that a powerful company or a government agency is breaking the law in Las Vegas, Nevada. When they do find that evidence, they will...more
Federal employees as well as people who work for companies that contract with the government have access to important information about the goods and services that the contractor is providing. In some cases, that information...more
According to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, an estimated $100 billion is lost to Medicare fraud every single year in the U.S., with overtaxed law enforcement agencies relying heavily on whistleblowers to...more
Over the holidays, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) issued proposed rules for updating its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program from its existing Defense Acquisition Regulatory Supplement (DFARS)...more
2/23/2024
/ Compliance ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Enforcement ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
NIST ,
Risk Assessment
If you have gained access to damaging or even incriminating information about an individual, corporation, or other entity, you may have the opportunity to become a whistleblower. Taking such action in the public interest is...more
Workers at companies that have a federal contract with the U.S. government for national security and defense work often have access to critically important information about these extremely sensitive transactions. In some...more
Whistleblowers in and around Dallas, Texas, who want to take their findings to federal law enforcement and the public should strongly consider hiring a whistleblower lawyer to help them. Not only can whistleblower attorneys...more
Hiring a lawyer is never an easy thing to do. Knowing which attorney has the right skillset and experience for your needs can be incredibly difficult to figure out. But it gets even trickier when you need whistleblower...more
A whistleblower action under the federal False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq.) against a U.S. pharmaceutical company has settled for an amount that can be as high as $50 million. The incident highlights the value and...more
Before filing a criminal or civil action under the False Claims Act, or FCA (31 U.S.C. § 3729), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) can start with a civil investigative demand or CID. Similar to subpoenas, Civil...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has broad authority to evaluate and approve drugs for medical use or prescription drugs. It also has the authority to investigate fake or counterfeit medicines and substances in the...more
The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) is a set of rules that apply to federal defense contractors with access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Covered Defense Information (CDI). Defense...more
9/13/2022
/ Compliance Monitoring ,
Controlled Defense Information (CDI) ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Documentation ,
Failure To Respond ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Misrepresentation ,
Noncompliance ,
Risk Mitigation
A civil investigative demand, or CID, is a powerful law enforcement tool that federal agencies such as the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) can use during the early stages of investigations into potential antitrust...more
The federal False Claims Act (FCA) penalizes anyone who knowingly makes a fraudulent claim for compensation to the federal government. The penalties can be severe, frequently rising into the millions of dollars and...more
Clinical laboratories have come under increased scrutiny in the past few years, especially those that deal with COVID-19 testing or drug testing.
These federal investigations can be surprising and confusing for lab...more
4/5/2022
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Liability ,
CLIA ,
Clinical Laboratories ,
Criminal Liability ,
Defense Strategies ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
FBI ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Investigations ,
OIG ,
Penalties ,
Physicians ,
Stark Law
The federal government has recently made clear its intention to go after healthcare providers who provide amniotic injections to certain Medicare and Medicaid recipients. Over recent years, the federal government has...more
10/26/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Billing ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Investigation Demand ,
Civil Liability ,
Criminal Liability ,
Defense Strategies ,
Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Government Investigations ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Physicians ,
Stark Law
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are scrutinizing health care providers’ Medicare billings for amniotic injections. These injections are only eligible for Medicare...more
8/17/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Billing ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Investigation Demand ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Fraud
Most health care providers have at least a basic understanding of the Anti-Kickback Statute. This federal law prohibits providers from offering, paying, soliciting, or accepting any form of “remuneration” for patient...more
12/11/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Civil Liability ,
Clinical Laboratories ,
Criminal Liability ,
Criminal Penalties ,
Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Noncompliance ,
Patient Referrals ,
Physicians ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Stark Law
Tips on Preparing to Defend Against Allegations of SBA Loan Fraud During the COVID-19 Crisis -
Federal emergency relief legislation—including the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”)—has...more
8/28/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Defense Strategies ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False Statements ,
FBI ,
Fraud ,
Identity Theft ,
Indictments ,
IRS ,
Loans ,
Mail Fraud ,
Misrepresentation ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Mitigation ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Small Business Loans ,
Tax Evasion ,
Wire Fraud
While there has been a lot of controversy in the media surrounding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), there is no question that the program has served as an invaluable lifeline to many small and medium-sized businesses...more
7/16/2020
/ Audits ,
Bank Fraud ,
Business Ownership ,
CARES Act ,
Civil Liability ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False Statements ,
Fraud ,
Government Investigations ,
IRS ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Penalties ,
SBA ,
Small Business Loans ,
Tax Evasion ,
Treble Damages ,
Wire Fraud