Welcome to the Fall 2024 issue of “FCA Enforcement & Compliance Digest,” our quarterly newsletter in which we compile essential updates on False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement trends, litigation, agency guidance, and compliance...more
12/10/2024
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Compliance ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Florida ,
Fraud ,
Health Technology ,
Healthcare ,
Manufacturers ,
Medicare Part D ,
OIG ,
Qui Tam ,
Risk Assessment ,
Settlement ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
Owner, Operator of Texas Lab Charged for $79 Million Medical Testing Fraud Scheme -
On November 20, Osman Syed, the owner and operator of a laboratory in Texas, was charged with three counts of health care fraud,...more
11/25/2024
/ Conspiracies ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Bank Accounts ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Home Health Care ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Testing ,
Medicare ,
Money Laundering ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement ,
Texas
UCHealth Settles FCA Violations for $23 Million -
On November 12, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) agreed to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims...more
11/18/2024
/ Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Insurance Fraud ,
Investment Fraud ,
Medicare ,
Money Laundering ,
Pharmacist ,
Settlement ,
TRICARE ,
Wire Fraud
Judge Orders Government to Pay Relators a Cut of FCA Settlement -
On November 4, a federal judge from the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts ordered the government to pay the relators’ share of a...more
11/11/2024
/ Conflicts of Interest ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
IRS ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Settlement
Connecticut State Court Finds Defunct Pharmacy Liable for $39.2 Million in Damages and Penalties -
A Connecticut Superior Court judge found Assured Rx, LLC, a Florida-based pharmacy, liable for violating the Connecticut...more
11/4/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Damages ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Depositions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
IRS ,
Liability ,
Medicare ,
Penalties ,
Pharmacies ,
Settlement
San Diego Physician and Medical Practice Pay $3.8 Million to Resolve FCA Allegations-
San Diego-based physician Dr. Janette J. Gray and her former medical practice, The Center for Health & Wellbeing, agreed to pay $3.8...more
10/28/2024
/ CARES Act ,
Compliance ,
Contractors ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Investigations ,
Medicare ,
Misrepresentation ,
NASA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Popular ,
SBA ,
Settlement ,
TRICARE
Teva Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $450 Million to Resolve FCA Claims -
On October 10, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and Teva Neuroscience Inc. will pay $450 million to...more
10/18/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Appeals ,
Causation ,
Charitable Donations ,
DEA ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Opioid ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Settlement
Florida Federal Judge Strikes Down FCA’s Qui Tam Provision as Unconstitutional -
On September 30, US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the Middle District of Florida held in a historic decision that the federal...more
10/7/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Appointments Clause ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False Statements ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Misrepresentation ,
OIG ,
Qui Tam ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement ,
Unconstitutional Condition
New York City Mayor Eric Adams Charged for Accepting Foreign Bribes -
On September 26, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery, and two counts of soliciting donations from...more
9/30/2024
/ Bribery ,
Campaign Contributions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Entities ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Fraud ,
HRSA ,
Identity Theft ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Billing Codes ,
Reimbursements ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement ,
Virus Testing ,
Wire Fraud
Walgreens Settles for $106.8 Million Over FCA Violations -
On September 13, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and Walgreen Co. (collectively, Walgreens) agreed to pay $106.8...more
9/23/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
CVS ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Money Laundering ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Settlement ,
Stark Law ,
Walgreens
Federal Court Permits Investors to Resume Kickback Suit Against Teva -
After a two-year long stay, on August 30, Judge Karen S. Marston of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that investors...more
9/9/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Investors ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Permits ,
Reimbursements ,
Settlement
Dental Office and Its Founders and Owners Agree to Pay Over $6 Million to Resolve FCA Allegations -
West Coast Dental Administrative Services LLC and its founders and former owners agreed to pay $6.3 million to resolve...more
Precision Lens Pays $12 Million to Resolve FCA and AKS Violations -
Late last week, Precision Lens and the estate of its former principal agreed to pay $12 million to resolve allegations regarding violations of the False...more
8/5/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare ,
Insurance Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare ,
Reimbursements ,
Settlement ,
Stark Law ,
Telemarketing ,
Whistleblowers
Welcome to the Summer 2024 issue of “FCA Enforcement & Compliance Digest,” our quarterly newsletter in which we compile essential updates on False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement trends, litigation, agency guidance, and...more
7/31/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Beneficiaries ,
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ,
But For Causation ,
Compliance ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
Fair Market Value ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare ,
Oral Argument ,
Physician Compensation Arrangements ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Portability ,
Settlement ,
Stark Law ,
TRICARE ,
Valuation
Texas Pharmaceutical Marketer Sentenced for $59 Million Medications Fraud Conspiracy -
On July 12, Quintan Cockerell, a Texas pharmaceutical marketer, was sentenced to over two years in prison and ordered to pay more than...more
7/22/2024
/ Conspiracies ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Hospice ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement
DOJ Announces Agreement With Rite Aid to Settle Allegations of Violating the FCA and CSA in Relation to Opioid Dispensing -
On July 10, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Rite Aid Corporation and 10 of its...more
7/15/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Billing ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Fraud ,
Medicare ,
Opioid ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Rite Aid ,
Settlement
Teva and DOJ May Reach Settlement in Closely Watched AKS Lawsuit -
On June 16, Teva Pharmaceuticals filed a request with the First Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to hold in abeyance its interlocutory appeal concerning...more
6/24/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Fraud ,
Interlocutory Appeals ,
Kickbacks ,
Money Laundering ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement ,
Teva Pharmaceuticals ,
Vaccinations ,
Wire Fraud
Florida Lab Owner Agrees to Pay Over $27 Million to Resolve Three Whistleblower Lawsuits -
Daniel Hurt, the prior owner and operator of Fountain Health Services LLC, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics LLC, First Choice...more
6/3/2024
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Insurance Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Qui Tam ,
Reimbursements ,
Settlement ,
Stark Law ,
Whistleblowers
Georgia Laboratory Owner Pleads Guilty to Felony Anti-Kickback Statute Violations -
On February 28, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the guilty plea of Andrew Maloney, who, along with his clinical laboratory...more
3/11/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drug Testing ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Fines ,
Fraud ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
IRS ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare Fraud ,
Opioid ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement ,
Tax Evasion ,
TRICARE
Owner of Telemedicine Companies Settles $110 Million Health Care Fraud Claim -
Steven Richardson, the owner of telemedicine companies Expansion Media, LLC and Hybrid Management Group LLC, agreed to settle allegations that...more
2/26/2024
/ Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Billing ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Indictments ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare ,
Settlement ,
Telemedicine
Clinical Laboratory and CEO To Pay Over $13 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations -
A New Jersey-based laboratory, RDx Bioscience Inc. (RDX), and its owner and CEO, Eric Leykin, agreed to pay $10,315,023 to the US...more
1/15/2024
/ CEOs ,
Clinical Laboratories ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
FBI ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Reimbursements ,
Settlement ,
Whistleblowers
Ultragenyx to Pay $6 Million To Settle False Claims Act Case -
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. recently agreed to pay $6 million to settle a qui tam action filed under the False Claims Act (FCA).
Ultragenyx manufactures a...more
1/8/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Billing Errors ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Fraud ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Popular ,
Qui Tam ,
Settlement
Hospital Executive and Three Physicians to Pay More Than $880,000 to Resolve Kickback Allegations -
On Monday, December 4, 2023, a Lexington, Texas, hospital executive and three health care providers agreed to pay more...more
12/11/2023
/ Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Conspiracies ,
Controlled Substances ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Fraud ,
Settlement ,
TRICARE ,
Wire Fraud
Medical Marketer Convicted of $55 Million Fraud Scheme -
Late last week, a federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted Quintan Cockerell for his role in a $55 million fraud conspiracy involving TRICARE, a...more
11/6/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Health Care Programs (FHCP) ,
Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Drug Rebate Program ,
Reimbursements ,
Settlement ,
TRICARE
DOJ’s First Criminal Securities Fraud Prosecution Related to COVID-19 Results in Eight-Year Sentence -
Mark Schena, the former president of Arrayit Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company, was...more
10/23/2023
/ Conspiracies ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False Statements ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Investors ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Technology Companies ,
Medicare Fraud ,
Restitution ,
Securities Fraud ,
Sentencing ,
Settlement ,
TRICARE ,
Wire Fraud