By Steve Kardell | Published February 12, 2022 | Posted in Fraud, Graft and Corruption | Tagged Tags: healthcare fraud, kickback scheme, medical devices |
Arthrex Agrees to $16 Million Settlement in Kickback Case
Arthrex Inc., an orthopedic device company based in Florida, agreed to pay $16 million to settle claims it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) in illegally paying kickbacks to a physician so that physician would use and recommend its products. The allegations in the case were originally brought forth by a whistleblower under the FCA’s Read More
Read MoreCFTC Now Accepting Claims for Whistleblower Awards in Massive Cattle Fraud Case
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) recently released a Notice of Covered Action (NCA) regarding enforcement actions being taken against Easterday Ranches, located in Washington. In December, the government ordered Easterday Ranches to pay $263 million in restitution penalties associated with a fraudulent cattle scheme. Whistleblowers can now submit award applications to the CFTC Read More
Read MoreFormer Medical Testing Lab CEO Settles False Claims Act Case
The Department of Justice recently announced it reached a settlement with Jae Lee, who formerly served as Chief Executive Officer of the Northwest Physicians Laboratory (NWPL). The terms of the settlement require Lee to pay $1.1 million to resolve allegations that NWPL violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute. Case background NWPL, which is Read More
Read MoreWhistleblower Lawsuit Alleges Fraudulent Billing Over Concurrent Surgeries at UPMC
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a department chair and the university’s physician group. The lawsuit stems from allegations made by a former UPMC physician under the False Claims Act. The DOJ investigated the claims for two years after the whistleblower alleged Read More
Read MoreReport: Colorado Air Quality Division Gave Permits Despite EPA Standard Violations
Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division allegedly issued multiple air quality permits to facilities despite predictive models demonstrating those facilities could violate pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These findings were released in a report from the Colorado Attorney General’s office. Case background In response to the report, state health officials say they Read More
Read MoreHospital Pays More Than $3 Million in Whistleblower Claim Settlement
John Peter Smith Hospital recently agreed to pay $3.3 million to settle allegations of False Claims Act violations. The hospital was alleged to have upcoded claims submitted to healthcare programs to receive more money in reimbursements. Case background The lawsuit that prompted the FCA action originally was filed in 2018 by the former Director of Read More
Read MoreThree Compliance Officers Awarded $1 Million in SEC Claim
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently awarded three compliance professionals a joint award of $1 million for their role in helping the agency uncover and prosecute misconduct at their firm. As is always the case with SEC whistleblower awards, the identities of those whistleblowers were kept private, as well as any potential identifying information, Read More
Read MoreCharges Issued in $784 Million Telemedicine Kickback Scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced charges from a grand jury in New Jersey issued against the owner of multiple telemedicine companies. The defendant is based in Florida and runs a group known as the Video Doctor Network, which allegedly participated in a widespread Medicare fraud scheme. Case background The owner of the Video Read More
Read MoreFormer Metals Traders for JP Morgan Face Racketeering Charges
A federal judge in Chicago ruled that four ex-employees for JPMorgan Chase & Co. must face racketeering charges upon accusations of price manipulation of metals futures. The judge’s decision resulted in a trial being set for October 19. The case represented the most heavy-handed attempts by the U.S. Department of Justice so far to prevent Read More
Read MoreWhistleblowers Collect More than $4.2 Million in False Claims Act Cases Involving Unnecessary Surgeries and Financial Misconduct
A pair of physicians acted as whistleblowers recently, initiating False Claims Act cases against a neurosurgeon and his two medical device companies. The whistleblowers received 20 percent of the $4.4 million total recovery under the False Claims Act, and also received separate settlements for cases involving that same neurosurgeon, including one award of $3.4 million. Read More
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