ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Physician Groups Settle Whistleblower Case for $33 Million
False Claims Act Suit
Whistleblower/qui tam cases brought under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) often involve false claims for payment under government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. In a recent $33 million settlement announced by the Department of Justice, two physician groups settled a large whistleblower action for false billing and kickback schemes under the government’s Medicare program. The San Francisco and California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm represent whistleblowers with similar claims under the federal and California False Claims Acts, including cases of government contractor fraud, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, whistleblower cases of tax avoidance schemes and securities and investment fraud. If you have credible information for a whistleblower or qui tam case, call the San Francisco and California whistleblower/qui tam attorneys at Evans Law Firm Inc. today at (415) 441-8669.
The False Claims Act (FCA) entitles private individuals, acting as whistleblowers or “relators,” to bring private actions against parties who have submitted false claims to the government for reimbursements or contract awards. In the recently settled case federal prosecutors joined two physician whistleblowers who alleged defendants received remuneration from a hospital group for recommending patients be admitted to hospitals on an inpatient basis when the patients should have been treated on an outpatient basis. On average, Medicare pays at least three times as much for an inpatient admission as it does for outpatient care. As part of the alleged scheme, the hospital group then paid bonuses back to the physician groups for the referrals. A U.S. Attorney assigned to the case summed up the government’s position this way: “Improper physician inducements not only compromise sound medical decision-making, but also cost American taxpayers millions in unnecessary medical costs. Such kickback arrangements will not be tolerated.”
The whistleblowers in this case will receive a whistleblower award of over $6 million from the government. Their long efforts at uncovering the wrongdoing paid off. While Evans Law Firm was not involved in this case in any way, whistleblower/qui tam cases like this one are long and complex. Cases begin with original and credible information of false claims supported by hard evidence and documentation supporting the information. Ingrid Evans and the other California whistleblower/qui tam attorneys at Evans Law Firm represent whistleblowers with cases brought under the False Claims Act, US tax laws against tax avoidance schemes, and securities fraud claims under Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The whistleblower/qui tam attorneys at Evans Law Firm know what the kind of evidence the government looks for in these cases and know how best to structure, organize, and present your evidence and documentation through initial application or complaint, discovery and investigation, and trial and/or settlement negotiations.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has information regarding a whistleblower or qui tam case in San Francisco or elsewhere in California of false claims for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, other false claims or kickback schemes involving government contracts, or cases under the Internal Revenue Code for prosecution of tax avoidance schemes including offshore schemes, contact Ingrid 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.
