Category: Healthcare Industry

What Protections are guaranteed to Whistleblowers? A whistleblower is an employee who reports fraud executed by his or her company to the federal authorities or the authorities in California. To constitute a qui tam case, the company has to misappropriate the funds received by the government and the whistleblower has […]

Hospital in California Allegedly Involved in a Healthcare Fraud Including Kickbacks, Justice Claims $600 Million in Return ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER In California, the Pacific Hospital is involved in a healthcare fraud case with an alleged $600 million in falsified billing in an eight-year period. The scheme was allegedly created by the […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The IRS Whistleblower Reward Increased in Fiscal 2016 The IRS announced that rewards paid to whistleblowers from October 1st, 2015 to September 30, 2016 will have a 6.8 percent deduction. There is a similar deduction from the award every year, typically taken to pay outstanding government debts, and […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The Nursing Home Reform Act was established by Congress to protect nursing home residents, especially their privacy, dignity and medical needs. It ensures they receive the care necessary for mental, physical and psychological well-being. The Nursing Home Reform Act ensures each resident will not be abused, receive improper […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER In the wake of Governor Jerry Brown’s signing of the End of Life Option Act, California has become the sixth state in the US to allow physician assisted suicide. While the bill offers those in excruciating pain or discomfort the agency to end their own lives, some disability […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER In a recent ruling that has implications for whistleblowers filing under the False Claims Act, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision. The ruling should lead to more whistleblowers filing qui tam lawsuits. In this case, United States ex rel. Hartpence v. Kinetic Concepts, […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The Nursing Home Reform Law prohibits discrimination based on a person’s Medicaid status or eligibility. Medicaid rates, however, are often much lower than those paid by Medicare and private insurance residents, which can lead to residents being treated as second-class citizens in a nursing home. Approximately two-thirds of […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Medicare and Medicaid programs differ in the way that they pay for nursing home care. It is important for nursing home residents and their loved ones to understand the coverage they have under their particular program. Medicare coverage functions like a health insurance policy, with either the beneficiary […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Though long overdue, the field of Elder Justice just got a new playbook. Prepared from a survey of hundreds of stakeholders, funded by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, and compiled by top experts in the field, the Elder Justice Roadmap lays […]

Why Protecting Whistleblowers Pays Dividends ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER At a time when businesses and governments seem more eager than ever to cover up their wrongdoings, it’s worth asking what benefit there is in strong whistleblower protections. The benefit to the whistleblower is obvious: these protections enable them to act on their […]