Monthly Archives: January 2015

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Whistleblowers are individuals or groups that report about possible wrongdoings of a particular organization or company. Often times, whistleblowing involves an employee reporting employer misconduct that is illegal, unethical, or against public policy. Approximately 1400 whistleblowers have filed qui tam lawsuits in the last two years, and have […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Before filing your 2015 tax returns, all taxpayers should prevent themselves from succumbing to fraudulent phone scams. There have been a number of cases where individuals have received calls from representatives claiming to be employees from the IRS (Internal Revenue Services) According to the TIGTA, (Treasury Inspector General […]

In 1987, the Nursing Home Reform Law passed through the federal government, issuing a standard “bill of rights” for all elderly residents of nursing homes across the country. While these rights can help older residents who may fear financial or physical abuse in a nursing home, they are not widely […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER When it comes to elder abuse, oftentimes, one might think that it is purely physical. However, the elder population also fall prey to financial abuse. It is important to break the misconception that senior citizens only experience financial abuse from strangers. In fact, most elder financial abuse cases […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Annuities are frequently sold to elders and seniors. Annuities are contracts between an insurance company and the buyer. They are designed to provide scheduled payments to the policy holder, after retirement. Seniors have increasingly been targeted to purchase annuities, because they tend to have accumulated a portion of […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER There is great concern about increased antipsychotic use on the elderly in nursing homes. Elders who are prescribed these drugs are placed at an increased risk of heart failure, autoimmune diseases, and even death. However, between 10 to 30 percent of long-stay residents in U.S. nursing homes are […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER It has become widely popular for elders and seniors to receive care in the comfort of their own homes. The State of California supports this trend by paying relatives and others to provide care for roughly half a million low-come individuals. This program is called the In-Home Supportive […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The federal government received a settlement of $16.65 billion dollars from Bank of America in a recent whistleblower qui tam case that was brought by four whistleblowers under the Federal False Claims Act. Whistleblowers have been awarded a generous percentage of the Bank of America settlement by the […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER During the 2014 fiscal year, the government’s whistleblower program has been the most successful yet. According to the New York Times, the Justice Department recovered $5.69 billion for false claims per the False Claims Act in 2014. The two biggest settlements included recovery for faulty mortgages and Medicare […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The Stark Law prevents doctors from receiving kickbacks by referring Medicare and Medicaid patients for designated health services (DHS.) Referrals for DHS include physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, computerized axial tomography scans, ultrasounds, radiation services, and such. This law however, contains exceptions. Doctors may refer patients for physician […]