ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
2019: Government Recovers Over $2.1 Billion in False Claims Whistleblower Cases
Whistleblowers Rewarded $ 265 Million in 2019
633 New False Claims Qui Tam Suits During Past Year
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) obtained more than $3 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in Fiscal Year 2019. $2.1 billion of this recovery came from whistleblower suits (known as qui tams) brought by United States citizens under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq. The government rewards whistleblowers for their efforts; last year alone whistleblowers received $265 million in rewards. The California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. represent individuals with credible information of any type of fraud against the government, including healthcare fraud. If you have credible information for a whistleblower or qui tam case, call the whistleblower/qui tam attorneys at Evans Law Firm Inc. today at (415) 441-8669.
Over 80% of the money recovered last year by the government was attributable to fraud by the healthcare industry. Healthcare fraud includes sales of unapproved or adulterated drugs, substandard medical equipment, false billing, upcoding, charges for drugs and services never rendered, and illegal referrals and kickbacks. One recently announced settlement, for example, resolved allegations that defendants defrauded Medicare by submitting false and fraudulent claims for payment for home health services without required face-to-face encounters between patients and physicians.[1] In another recently settled case, a large diagnostic lab allegedly paid illegal kickbacks for referrals and charged for certain services never performed. The lab paid $26.7 million to settlement the allegations and the whistleblowers received a reward of $4.36 million for bringing the alleged fraud to light.
Insiders like employees, former employees, and bookkeepers may witness manufacture and sale of unapproved medications, unapproved manufacturing processes for drugs and medical devices, fraudulent billing, overcharging, illegal referral and kickback schemes and other wrongful conduct in operation. If you have original information of this kind of fraud or any other fraud being perpetrated against the government, call Ingrid M. Evans and the other whistleblower/qui tam attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. Our lawyers know how best to assemble and present your evidence or wrongdoing with a chance at an award of 15-30% of amounts the government recovers. If your employer retaliates against you for blowing the whistle on fraud, our litigators can also represent you in any action for wrongful termination. Remedies include reinstatement, double back pay plus interest, special damages, and attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in bringing your case. 31 U.S. § 3730(h)(2).
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has information regarding a whistleblower or qui tam case of false claims for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, or bank fraud under The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA/FIAFEA), securities fraud under the Commodities Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program and the Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Program, other False Claims Act cases, the Internal Revenue Service Whistleblower Office, the FINRA Whistleblower Office or the California False Claims Act, contact Ingrid M. Evans and the other California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with large whistleblower cases, complex financial contract litigation, and large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through whistleblower false claims applications, discovery and investigation, 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.
[1] Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the cases discussed here in any way.
