Following a jury's verdict, a federal court slashed civil penalties under the False Claims Act ("FCA") as violative of the Constitution's 8th Amendment....more
3/28/2025
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Damages ,
Eighth Amendment ,
Excessive Fines Clause ,
False Billing ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicare ,
Penalties ,
Treble Damages
The Situation: The False Claims Act ("FCA") imposes treble damages on defendants, as well as mandatory penalties per false claim. Because alleged false claims often involve much smaller amounts—for example, in cases with a...more
8/19/2024
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Due Process ,
Eighth Amendment ,
Excessive Fines Clause ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Treble Damages
The Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") is a federal criminal statute that prohibits "knowingly and willfully" offering or paying remuneration to induce a person to order or make a referral for an item or service reimbursable by a...more
Qui tam relators and the U.S. Department of Justice continue to expand usage of the False Claims Act....more
3/4/2024
/ Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
Qui Tam ,
Settlement ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
The decision should prove helpful for those in the health care and life sciences industries whose daily operations require compliance with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS")....more
In Short -
The Situation: The Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") prohibits a defendant from willfully paying or receiving "remuneration" in exchange for referrals—and, in addition, also specifies that any claims "resulting...more
In a momentous event for False Claims Act cases throughout the country, the Supreme Court has granted certiorari to decide the applicable scienter standard....more
In Short -
The Situation: Under 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(g), a claim that "includes items or services resulting from a violation" of the Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") is a false claim for purposes of the False Claims Act...more
Health care industry participants frequently operate under nuanced legal frameworks that apply to the receipt of government funds. A breach of these regulations can open the door to draconian liability under the FCA even when...more
2/14/2022
/ False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Liability ,
Qui Tam ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Relators ,
Scienter ,
Statutory Interpretation
A defendant who violates the FCA can be liable for treble damages plus a civil penalty of $5,500 to $11,000 (adjusted for inflation) for each false claim. Meanwhile, FCA lawsuits often involve tens of thousands of alleged...more
2/3/2022
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Eighth Amendment ,
Excessive Fines Clause ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False-Certification of Conformance ,
Fines ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Qui Tam ,
Reimbursements ,
Relators ,
Statutory Violations ,
Treble Damages
The Situation: In March 2020, the Third and Ninth Circuits held, in two cases in which the government had declined to intervene, that a mere difference of medical opinion may be enough to satisfy the falsity element of the...more
The Situation: A provision in the False Claims Act ("FCA") had clarified when Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") violations can make a claim false, but the provision's rule of per se falsity does not answer when a claim "result[s]...more
2/1/2018
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Appeals ,
Charitable Donations ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicare ,
Physicians ,
Relators ,
Stark Law ,
Summary Judgment
The Situation: A decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinforces the growing body of case law regarding the strict materiality requirements of the False Claims Act.
The Result: Coyne v. Amgen is...more
1/15/2018
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Conditions of Payment ,
Failure To Disclose ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Implied Certification ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Materiality ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar