Feds Recover $2.5 Billion from Health Care Industry Fraud in 2018

That is just the money recovered in successful health care fraud cases. Imagine how much more goes undetected!

Here is the news of the Department of Justice’s annual report for 2018 for legal judgements under the federal False Claims Act. (Fascinating! the Act has been around since the Civil War.)
I know this might sound pretty boring, but you need to know about it especially as some of the successes come from “whistleblowers” who are able to make some serious money while unearthing fraud in primarily (in this case) the health care sector.
So, if you work for a doctor or hospital and notice some strange financial transactions, or see something suspicious on your Medicare statements, keep this in mind!
From a report by the law firm Holland & Knight:

In December 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual statistics for its civil False Claims Act (FCA) and fraud cases from the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018 (fiscal year 2018). The DOJ reports it recovered $2.8 billion in settlements and judgments for Fiscal Year 2018. Of the $2.8 billion recovered in fiscal year 2018, $2.5 billion involved the healthcare industry—the ninth consecutive year that the DOJ’s civil health care fraud settlements and judgments have exceeded $2 billion.
[….]

….the FCA is used by the U.S. government to combat healthcare fraud and also serves as the primary civil remedy for redressing false claims involving federal government contracts, grants, and federally-funded programs.
FCA cases can originate in one of two ways: (1) actions brought by the DOJ, or (2) actions brought by whistleblowers, known as relators, who are entitled to a portion of any proceeds recovered through settlement or judgment. In the latter actions, called qui tam actions, the case is filed under seal and the DOJ is given a period of time to evaluate the allegations and decide whether to intervene (i.e. take over the case). If DOJ declines to intervene, the relator may proceed with the action and potentially receive a greater cut of the recovery.
[….]
…in the healthcare industry newly brought qui tam cases are down while non-qui tam cases are slightly up.
[….]
The increase in government-initiated healthcare cases may be attributable to enforcement initiatives such as the nationwide Medicare Strike Force Teams. These teams, which are scattered throughout the United States, focus on criminal and civil health care fraud.

Feds are increasing the number of US Attorneys in key hot spots!

The trend line for government-initiated FCA actions should increase over the next few years. DOJ recently added a cadre of new affirmative civil enforcement attorneys, whose role will include initiating cases under the FCA. The new Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) are being placed throughout the country—and offices where there is a hotbed of government contracting and healthcare are receiving more than one new AUSA. While most U.S. Attorney’s Offices will receive one additional AUSA for affirmative civil enforcement, DOJ announced that offices such as Colorado, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia, would receive two.

More here.

This got me thinking.  Have you seen any funny money business going on with the US Refugee Admissions Program and the Dept. of Health and Human Services contractors?

If so, think about this avenue to bring attention to possible fraud! You might actually make a few bucks in the process!

Afterthought:  I need to be sure to let new readers know why I write this blog, here is my “welcome” post from January first.