In times of crisis, there are heroes, villains, victims, and everyone in between. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, many valiant efforts are under immense time pressure—to care for the ill, to protect the vulnerable, to find and...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled last week that whistleblower relators need not show “objective falsity” to prove their claims, and that a dispute among physician experts about a clinical...more
3/12/2020
/ False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospice ,
Insurance Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare ,
Objective Falsity ,
Physicians ,
Professional Liability ,
Qui Tam ,
Relators ,
Scienter ,
Triable Issue of Fact ,
Whistleblowers
Federal enforcers typically announce (formally as well as informally) work plans or focus areas for the upcoming year that can provide some guidance as to where providers might anticipate enforcement action and, where they...more
All hospice providers routinely should assess risk exposure under the False Claims Act — now with the benefit of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s long-awaited decision in United States v. AseraCare Inc. ...more
2/4/2020
/ Appeals ,
Evidence ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospice ,
Jury Verdicts ,
Medical Experts ,
Medical Records ,
Medicare ,
Objective Falsity ,
Physicians ,
Summary Judgment ,
Terminal Illness Treatments ,
Trial Court Orders ,
Vacated
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business. Recent developments...more
1/29/2020
/ Annual Reports ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
CFTC ,
Directors ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Rule 21F-17 ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
On November 5, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division announced the establishment of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). The PCSF aims to deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute antitrust crimes and...more
11/8/2019
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Bid Rigging ,
Collusion ,
Criminal Antitrust Litigation ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
DCIS ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
DOJ Strike Force ,
FBI ,
Federal Contractors ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
Inspector General ,
Price-Fixing ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
State Attorneys ,
USPS
Although a whistleblowing employee typically cannot release fraud claims against her employer brought on behalf of the United States under the False Claims Act (FCA), courts have demonstrated a willingness to enforce properly...more
10/9/2019
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Health Care Providers ,
Qui Tam ,
Release of Claims ,
Retaliation ,
Severance Agreements ,
Waiver of Liability ,
Waivers ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Tuesday’s ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in United States v. AseraCare is a win for hospice and other health care providers who have long argued that a mere difference of clinical...more
The Department of Justice Antitrust Division will now consider a target company’s antitrust compliance program when determining how to resolve criminal matters. This represents a fundamental shift in the Antitrust Division’s...more
9/6/2019
/ Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Compliance ,
Cooperation ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Sentencing Guidelines ,
New Guidance ,
Risk Assessment ,
White Collar Crimes
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business...more
Health care providers, government contractors, and others who receive money from the federal government are at greater risk of suit under the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq., following the Supreme Court’s...more
5/31/2019
/ Appeals ,
Cause of Action Accrual ,
Cochise Consultancy Inc v United States ex rel Hunt ,
Dismissals ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Intervenors ,
Limitation Periods ,
Qui Tam ,
Reaffirmation ,
Relators ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Statute of Limitations
In a memo leaked last year (the Granston Memo), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) instructed its prosecutors to more seriously consider dismissing meritless whistleblower False Claims Act (FCA) cases when it is in the...more
On May 7, 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released guidance for civil prosecutors in determining how to assess cooperation in False Claims Act (FCA) cases. See DOJ’s press release and its revised manual. In particular,...more
If one appellant has its way, the False Claims Act (FCA) would be gutted by way of its qui tam provisions struck down as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. That is the position taken by Intermountain Health...more
5/15/2019
/ Appeals ,
Appointments Clause ,
Article III ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ,
Hospitals ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Physician Medicare Reimbursements ,
Physicians ,
Qui Tam ,
Relators ,
Reversal
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business. Recent developments include:
Fifth...more
4/16/2019
/ Bio-Rad Laboratories ,
CFTC ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dismissals ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
JPMorgan Chase ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business. Recent developments include:
Upward...more
1/28/2019
/ Annual Reports ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
CEOs ,
CFTC ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
NYDFS ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
On Thursday, November 29th, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced changes to its policy known as the “Yates Memo.” That policy, established in 2015 by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, had required companies...more
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business. Recent developments...more
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business. Recent developments include:
New...more
7/19/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
CFTC ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Internal Reporting ,
Proposed Rules ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
On May 9, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a policy related to resolutions of criminal and civil corporate enforcement. The new “Policy on Coordination of Corporate Resolution Penalties” was issued by...more
Whistleblower Developments is a periodic report covering significant cases, decisions, proposals, and legislation related to whistleblower statutes and how they may impact your business. Recent developments include:
Only...more
4/18/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Bright-Line Rule ,
Digital Realty Trust Inc v Somers ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Internal Reporting ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retaliation ,
Safe Harbors ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Effective immediately, a settlement agreement or a judgment with the government must set forth the specific amount of restitution, remediation of property, or monies paid to come into compliance with any law violated, for...more
In January 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued two memoranda that, taken together, may usher in a new era of False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement in the health care industry. The first memorandum, dated January 10,...more
3/12/2018
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Judgment on the Merits ,
Materiality ,
Medicare ,
Memorandum of Guidance ,
National Security ,
Public Comment ,
Qui Tam ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar
On February 28, 2018, Ethan P. Davis, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Consumer Protection Branch, addressed the life sciences community regarding off-label promotion. In his remarks, Deputy Assistant Attorney...more
3/6/2018
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Attorney General ,
CGMP ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Life Sciences ,
Misleading Statements ,
Off-Label Promotion ,
Opioid ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
REMS
The Supreme Court in Digital Realty Trust narrowed the definition of a whistleblower under the Dodd-Frank Act only to those persons who have provided information of a securities laws violation to the U.S. Securities and...more
2/22/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Digital Realty Trust Inc v Somers ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Split of Authority ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers