The term “qui tam” has a long history in the law. The term itself is an abbreviation of a Latin phrase meaning “to sue in the name of the king” and came to the U.S. via English common law. Essentially, it allows an individual to act on behalf of the government to end...
Qui Tam Cases
Qui Tam Cases
What is a qui tam lawsuit?
You are considering becoming a whistleblower. You know the home health care company you work for is committing Medicare fraud by overbilling and you feel compelled to report it. You decide to do a little research about whistleblower laws and come across an unfamiliar...
What is a pharmaceutical kickback?
When a medical doctor or clinician is given a monetary incentive to prescribe a medicine, product or device to patients, this is known as a pharmaceutical kickback. How common are pharmaceutical kickbacks? A 2015 study by the JAMA found that almost half- 48% of all...
Why are compliance-related whistleblowers so rare?
One might assume that compliance workers are among the most common type of whistleblowers, due to the nature of their work. In fact, the SEC just awarded its third award to a compliance-related whistleblower in the history of the program in March of 2020. Why so few...
You could benefit from reporting to the IRS this tax season
Some people grew up in homes where telling on another person for their wrongdoings, otherwise referred to as tattling, was frowned upon. This is perhaps due to the idea that children’s zest for telling on a sibling is irritating for a parent. It could also have...
Whistleblower to receive $1.6 million in False Claims Act case
"Patients and taxpayers rightly should expect that referrals be based on sound medical judgement, not driven by thinly veiled bribes, as alleged here," said a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Maintaining...
New York whistleblower to receive $62.7 million in Sprint lawsuit
In December, the New York Attorney General's Office and the state tax commissioner reached a record-breaking settlement with Sprint and several subsidiaries. A whistleblower filed a lawsuit under the state's false claims act, which allows private citizens to file...
What is a qui tam action under the federal False Claims Act?
If you work for an organization that contracts with the federal government, you may have observed questionable or even fraudulent activity. Did you know you could earn a substantial reward by blowing the whistle on fraud, waste or abuse of a federal contract or...
Whistleblower reveals hospital’s Stark, Anti-Kickback violations
"By bringing allegations of fraud to light, whistleblowers play an important role in protecting the integrity of our healthcare system," says the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He was discussing the role of a whistleblower in a recent case...
The DOJ is dismissing more qui tam lawsuits. What does this mean?
Every year, numerous whistleblowers file qui tam lawsuits after noticing fraudulent activity. Under the False Claims Act (FCA), someone who has evidence of fraud against the federal government can file a claim and receive protection from retaliation—and possibly a...
