News

May 22, 2013 — The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) of 2010 created a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower program to allow the agency to accumulate and investigate information from securities industry insiders who notify the government about fraudulent misconduct. The Dodd-Frank Act permits an informant to take home up to thirty...

May 21, 2013 — In Pennsylvania, one city (Philadelphia) and one county (Allegheny County — where Pittsburgh is located), have passed False Claims Act laws making it a crime for city or county contractors to submit false claims for reimbursement. Still, the state of Pennsylvania has yet to join the District of Columbia and the other 29 states that have enacted False Claims Act legislation...

May 16, 2013 — When traders abuse insider information about an impending merger or acquisition, employees of the companies involved or within the securities industry are quite likely to find out about it. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now has a whistleblower program that allows them to do something about it. Created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer...

May 16, 2013 — When businesses that contract to perform services for the U.S. military bill the American taxpayers for work they never even performed, those contractors violate the federal False Claims Act. Under the qui tam provisions of that statute, contractor employees and other individuals with information concerning a fraudulent billing scheme against the U.S. are authorized to file...

May 15, 2013 — Just since 2009, The United States Department of Justice has recovered over $10.3 billion in False Claims Act litigation involving Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE fraud. That number shoots up to $14.2 billion if you include the Justice Department’s total recoveries during that time as...

May 14, 2013 — The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 established an IRS Whistleblower Office to make it easier for tipsters with information about tax fraud to notify the IRS and receive compensation. Under the Act, whistleblowers may receive anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of the amount collected by the IRS based on an informant’s information. To be eligible for a reward based on...

May 13, 2013 — The U.S. Justice Department relies on the False Claims Act to combat Medicare fraud and return millions of dollars each year to American taxpayers. The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act enable employees with medical equipment suppliers who become aware of fraudulent Medicare schemes to sue those involved for the benefit of the government. Informants keep a share of...

May 10, 2013 — The False Claims Act prohibits drug makers, pharmacies and health care providers from billing federal healthcare programs for drugs prescribed or sold as a result of an illegal kickback scheme. When pharmaceutical companies pay kickbacks to pharmacies, doctors, hospitals or long-term care providers as a way to increase drug sales, and then pass through the cost of the...

May 9, 2013 — It is a violation of the False Claims Act to bill federal healthcare programs for medications prescribed or sold as part of an illegal kickback scheme. Medicare fraud hurts taxpayers and it hurts drug maker employees as well. Kickback scams require pharmaceutical sales reps and pharmacy workers to participate in fraudulent schemes or to look the other way. Honest employees who...