ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Illegal Kickbacks For Prescribing Medications
Whistleblower Rewarded For Blowing Whistle
Kickbacks for prescriptions violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, and, when the government is paying for the services, the False Claims Act. 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b (Anti-Kickback Statute); 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq. (False Claims Act). The government rewards whistleblowers who blow the whistle on these kinds of illegal acts. The San Francisco and California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. represent individuals with credible information of illegal kickbacks or 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.
On July 1, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a large settlement of two pending whistleblower cases* brought under the Anti-Kickback Statute and the FCA against a large pharmaceutical company for allegedly violating Medicare co-pay rules and allegedly paying illegal kickbacks to physicians to prescribe medications produced by the company. The settlements total $642 million. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded programs. Because the prescriptions were ultimately paid for by Medicare, the DOJ alleged that defendant’s scheme also violated the FCA.
The whistleblower who initiated the action will receive a sizeable reward. Insiders like employees, former employees, and salespersons may witness kickback schemes in operation. If you have original information of this kind of fraud or any other fraud being perpetrated against the government here in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, call Ingrid M. Evans and the other whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. 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.
*Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in either case in any way.
