ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
One Individual Exposed Large-Scale Healthcare Fraud
Employees And Other Insiders Can Blow Whistle On Fraud
Salesman Brings Massive Kickback Fraud To Light
Healthcare fraud is the largest single category of fraud against the federal government year in and year out. Employees, case managers, nurses, physicians, salespeople, directors and others may see firsthand fraudulent practices at work in the healthcare field. Under the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq., the federal government rewards whistleblowers who present credible information of false claims against the government under Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs. 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 make illegal referrals, submit false diagnoses, pay kickbacks, sell unapproved medications, or commit other fraudulent acts. 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.
Kickbacks for prescribing drugs are illegal under the Anti-Kickback Statute ( 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b), and fraud actionable under the FCA when the government is the one paying for the prescribed medicine. In one recently settled large case, a former sales representative at a major drug company brought a whistleblower suit alleging the drug maker provided special treatment to physicians in exchange for prescribing drugs the company produced. Expensive dinners and drinks, fancy catered events, and pricey seats at sporting events were just some of the gifts the pharmaceutical company allegedly gave participating physicians. When the whistleblower went to a superior and said he had “evidence of fraud,” he was threatened and so he began working with law enforcement before filing the FCA lawsuit based on his allegations. The case was settled earlier this year for $678 million and the whistleblower stands to receive a $109.4 million reward.
Protection for Whistleblowers
Employees such as the threatened sales rep in the reported case may have credible information 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.
