As vaccination rates rise, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reverberate through 2021. These reverberations also impacted the healthcare fraud and abuse landscape that is the basis of The FCA Insider’s coverage. To-date, 2021 has seen more than three dozen posts on topics ranging from False Claims Act (FCA) court opinions, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)… Continue Reading
While the spread of COVID-19 may finally be slowing, government enforcement of pandemic-related fraud is not. It is surging. And that may explain why you are hearing from the government more than usual, or will soon. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last week that it has now charged nearly 500 defendants with crimes… Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges this month against a Michigan woman, Amina Abbas, for embezzling government property. This indictment is the first in the nation related to the CARES Act public health and social services emergency fund (the Provider Relief Fund), which provides funds to support healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.… Continue Reading
The U.S. Fifth Circuit recently upheld convictions and sentences against five named defendants, each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and several counts of substantive health care fraud. In United States v. Barnes, No. 18-31074, 2020 WL 6304699 (5th Cir. Oct. 28, 2020), the Fifth… Continue Reading
Earlier this year, a notable trial took place in Dallas (United States v. Beauchamp, et al., 3-16 Cr. 516D (N.D. Tex.) that could have an impact on the healthcare industry in the coming years. In the trial, the DOJ brought criminal claims against multiple physicians under the Travel Act, which resulted in multiple physicians being… Continue Reading
A former prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice has pled guilty to attempting to sell sealed False Claims cases to the defendants in those cases and to transporting stolen goods across state lines. Jeffrey Wertkin was a DOJ prosecutor who had entered private practice with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Mr. Wertkin… Continue Reading
A recent federal district court case raises significant issues regarding privilege that should be on the radar of any in-house or outside counsel conducting an internal investigation with the goal of producing a public report. As discussed in a recent Privilege Points, the investigation at issue was conducted for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)… Continue Reading
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