ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Overbilling Government Programs For Services Not Provided
Falsifying Program Certifications
Employees, Directors and Other Insiders Bring Fraud To Light
Healthcare fraud costs the nation an estimated $68 billion annually, much of that cost ultimately hitting taxpayers through false claims against Medicare and Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal here in California). Under the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq., the federal government rewards whistleblowers who on their own or with government assistance recover any sums from those submitting false claims. The California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. can represent whistleblowers in FCA cases against nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, labs, pharmaceutical companies, government contractors, and others who commit fraud in obtaining government payments. If you have credible information for a false claims whistleblower case or any other whistleblower case in California, call us today at (415)441-8669 and we can help.
In one recent whistleblower suit*, a for-profit provider of services to adults with behavioral and developmental disability settled allegations that it failed to provide the services and facilities it had represented it provided to developmentally disabled persons over a number of years. The lawsuit was brought by the former Program Director for defendant who had firsthand information of the alleged fraud. Her suit also alleged an overall shortage of staffing to maintain the staff-to-patient ratio defendant had certified to the government as provided. The whistleblower will receive a share of the $150,000 settlement in the case. The settlement resolved the allegations without any admission of liability by the provider.
Protection for Whistleblowers
Employees, managers, directors, board members, clients, and other insiders may have credible information of these types of false claims against the government. Federal law protects insiders/employees against retaliation from employers for blowing the whistle on fraud. If you are fired because you brought any fraud to light, you can fight back. You may be entitled to sue your employer in federal court and seek double back pay (with interest), reinstatement, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and reimbursement for certain costs in connection with the litigation. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h). Our California whistleblower attorneys can represent you in any action for retaliation as well as represent you in your underlying whistleblower application.
Contact Us
Ingrid M. Evans and our other whistleblower attorneys handle all types of whistleblower cases in addition to false claims cases, including cases for bank fraud under FIRREA/FIAFEA, commodity trading and securities fraud under the Commodities Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program and the Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Program, and tax fraud under the Internal Revenue Service Whistleblower Program. If you have information regarding false claims, offshore tax avoidance schemes against the IRS, or securities and commodity trading fraud in violation of SEC and CFTC regulations, contact Ingrid M. Evans and the other California whistleblower and false claims attorneys at Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with complex financial contracts and large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We also handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
*United States ex rel. Engram v. Comfort Community Center, LLC et al., 1:15-cv-3737 (N.D. Ga.). Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the case in any way.
