News

March 5, 2014 March 5, 2014 — Fraudulent Medicaid scams fuel the increasing costs of health care and imperil our country’s health care system. When health care providers run afoul of the federal False Claims Act by making false Medicaid claims, insider employees are often the first to know. The qui tam provisions in the False Claims Act allow tipsters to file a lawsuit for the government and receive a...

March 4, 2014 March 4, 2014 — In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service Office was established to give informants the means to notify the IRS about tax cheats, be they private individuals or large corporations. Under the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, tipsters in tax fraud cases may receive rewards of up to 30 percent of the amount the government collects. The reward is offered for information about...

March 3, 2014 March 3, 2014 — Whistleblowers can have a great impact in the fight against Medicare and Medicaid fraud. The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) depends in particular on health care industry insiders to spot false claims before they are noticed by federal investigators. The federal False Claims Act allows informants to file a qui tam claim in court for the government’s benefit. To encourage...

February 28, 2014 February 28, 2014 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes it a crime for corporations to build their business abroad with illegal bribes to foreign government officials. Companies that engage in foreign bribery as a way to nail down contracts overseas create a lopsided marketplace that puts honest competitors at an unfair disadvantage. To redress the problem, the Dodd-Frank Wall...

February 27, 2014 February 27, 2014 — Dental billing fraud is a problem in many states, whether the false claims are made to federal healthcare programs like Medicaid or to private insurance companies. But when dentists make fraudulent claims to Medicaid, the American taxpayers foot the bill. With the assistance of dental care insiders, however, taxpayers have a way to fight back. Under federal and state False...

February 26, 2014 February 26, 2014 — It is a crime for management firms advising public pension funds or private individuals to defraud investors. Under the whistleblower program established in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) of 2010, informants who notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about theft from investors may be rewarded for their courage in...

February 25, 2014 February 25, 2014 — The IRS Whistleblower Office was established in 2006 to help informants notify the IRS about businesses and private individuals that cheat on their federal taxes. Under the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, whistleblowers in tax fraud cases may be rewarded with 15 to 30 percent of the amount the government collects. The reward is available for tips about businesses...

February 24, 2014 February 24, 2014 — Medicare fraud fuels increasing health care costs and risks the safety of our country’s health care system. When unscrupulous health care providers violate the federal False Claims Act by filing false claims for reimbursement with Medicare and other publicly funded healthcare programs, insiders are often the first to know. The qui tam provisions in the statute give...

February 21, 2014 February 21, 2014 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes it a crime for multinational businesses to boost revenue abroad with illegal pay-offs to foreign government officials. When companies resort to foreign bribery to secure contracts overseas, they create an unsteady marketplace that places honest competitors at an unfair disadvantage. To tackle the problem,...

February 20, 2014 February 20, 2014 — The United States is not the only country grappling with fraudulent dental claims to federal and state healthcare programs. False claims are also a problem in Scotland. While countries abroad often rely on public investigators to ferret out health care fraud, the U.S. government counts on insider employees to collaborate with the government to end Medicaid dental fraud....