Whistleblowers Key to Fight Against Healthcare Fraud

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER

The role of the whistleblower, usually a current or former employee who has witnessed unlawful behavior, is key in the fight against healthcare fraud, say California qui tam/false claims lawyers.

The Whistleblower Act protects a whistleblower against retaliation. Under the False Claims Act, a whistleblower can file what is known as a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of a government entity that is being defrauded. The whistleblower is then entitled to a portion of a potential award or settlement for his or her role in bringing the fraud to light.

This is what happened in recent healthcare industry cases, including the largest single-state False Claims Act Settlement in US history in 2011. In that case, the two largest medical labs in the state were alleged to have routinely billed California’s state Medi-Cal program much higher fees than others were charged. The case (State of California ex rel. Hunter Laboratories v. Quest Diagnostics Inc., et al) settled in 2011 for $241 million.

Another such example of a healthcare industry false claims case in California was State of California v. Gardens Regional (Tri-City), Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, Michael Drobot, et al. In this case, spinal surgeries and other procedures that were not medically necessary were being performed with surgical screws and rods that had not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

California qui tam/false claims attorneys want to emphasize the important of the whistleblower in uncovering healthcare fraud, as well as to assure potential whistleblowers that they are protected against retaliation.

Evans Law Firm, Inc. handles all types of qui tam/false claims and whistleblower cases, including healthcare fraud, and SEC/IRS fraud. If you have a potential qui tam claim, please contact Evans Law Firm, Inc., Inc. at 415-441-8669 or via email at [email protected].