ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Allegedly False Billing Practices
Defendant Settles Allegations For $10 Million
Ex-Employee Rewarded $1.7 Million
Fraud against the government costs taxpayers billions every year and the majority of fraudulent claims submitted to the government for payment arise from the healthcare sector. To combat this fraud, private citizens help the government recover billions of dollars every year from those submitting false claims for government payments. The cases are brought in federal courts throughout the country under the False Claims Act, (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq. The private individuals bringing the cases are referred to as “relators,” and the cases themselves are called “qui tam” cases. Qui tam relators (whistleblowers) are eligible to receive between 15 and 30% of the government’s recovery. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(d).
Relators of fraudulent conduct are often employees or managers, or former employees or managers, or (in healthcare cases) patients of the business engaging in the fraud as the case discussed below illustrates. If you have credible information of fraud against the government in violation of the FCA in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, call us today at (415)441-8669 and we can help. Our toll-free number is 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).
Recent Whistleblower Reward[1]
Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced a $10 million False Claims Act (FCA) settlement with a home healthcare company. The case stems from a qui tam whistleblower suit which alleged that defendant submitted false claims to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP), a healthcare program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) for the benefit of Department of Energy employees and contractors with occupational illnesses. According to the government, between 2017 and 2021, defendant falsely billed the Energy Program for in-home nursing and personal care when its employees were not physically present in patients’ homes. The allegations were brought forth in a qui tam suit filed by the defendant’s former Corporate Administrator and Director of Human Resource Administration and Management. The relator will receive approximately $1.7 million for her whistleblowing.
Bringing A Qui Tam Action
Any False Claims Act whistleblower case begins by a relator filing a complaint under seal in the federal court usually for the United States District Court for the district where defendant is located or does business. At the same time, the relator submits a disclosure to the DOJ outlining the material evidence the relator has of the alleged false claims. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b). The seal period of the complaint lasts 60 days during which the DOJ investigates the claims. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(2). (If necessary, the government can, and often does, extend the 60-day period during which the allegations are kept under seal.) If the government decides to intervene in the case, the government essentially takes over the litigation. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(1). If the government declines to intervene, the relator may proceed with the litigation on his or her own. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(3).
Contact Us
If you have credible information of government fraud in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, call Ingrid M. Evans at (415) 441-8669, or toll-free at 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267) or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. In addition to FCA and CFCA whistleblower cases, Ingrid and Evans Law Firm, Inc. also handle bank fraud whistleblower cases 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.
[1] Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the case in any way.
