Whistleblower Protection For Medicare & Medicaid Fraud
Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Under The False Claims Act
Any person or business that receives reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid is subject to the False Claims Act for fraud related complaints. This includes doctors, healthcare facilities, hospitals, nursing homes and medical suppliers.
If a company or person is engaged in Medicare of Medicaid fraud, the False Claims Act allows private citizens (or "whistleblowers") to file fraud charges, and bring a lawsuit "in place of" the United States government..
Compensation For Medicare and Medicaid Whistleblowers
When someone "blows the whistle" and helps the government to recover the money it was defrauded, that Medicare or Medicaid whistleblower is entitled to 15-30% of the settlement amount obtained by the government. Because these schemes are so elaborate, most whistleblowers receive millions of dollars in compensation.
What Activities Are Considered Medicare or Medicaid Fraud?
There are a ton of scenarios that may constitute Medicare or Medicade fraud; however, some of the most common examples include:
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Billing for services not rendered;
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Misrepresentation of the type of service rendered;
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Misrepresentation of the patient's illness;
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Providing partially filled prescriptions, but billing for the full dose;
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Offering kickbacks to a medical provider as an incentive to prescribe certain drugs;
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Billing more for Medicare or Medicaid patients than other patients;
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Deliberately providing defective products or services; or
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Billing for a more severe diagnosis or injury than the patient really has.
My company is engaged in fraud. Will I be given whistleblower protection and compensation if I report them?
If you are aware of, and report Medicare or Medicaid fraud, you will be entitled to whistleblower protection under the Federal Claims Act and 15-30% of the government's settlement amount. A typical settlement in a whistleblower case is well over a million dollars.
New Jersey Medicare and Medicaid Whistleblower Protection
New Jersey is one of a handful of states that provides explicit statutory protection to whistleblowers. Specifically, the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) allows an employee who has been the victim retaliation for reporting an employer’s fraud or improper conduct to file a lawsuit in the Superior Court and to seek damages for lost pay, emotional distress, and punitive damages.
I'm ready to come forward and expose the illegal activities that I know about. Where do I start?
Contacting a lawyer is essential in whistleblower cases. The statute of limitations (or the time you have to file a lawsuit) can be complicated and you will need a lawyer to make sure you have met all necessary deadlines. Here at Mininno Law Office, our lawyers will aggressively protect you from whistleblower retaliation in your area of employment. ALL INFORMATION IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. As a whistleblower, you have rights-- and we are committed to help you assert those rights. And while the economic incentive is great for whistleblowers, the real reward is knowing that you helped put a stop to illegal fraud and corruption.
To speak with an employment and whistleblower lawyer in New Jersey, call (856) 833-0600. To speak with an employment and whistleblower lawyer in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, call (215) 567-2380. For online questions and inquiries nationwide, please fill out the form on the left side of this page. We will get back to you within 12 hours.
Disclaimer: While the use of this website does not form or imply an attorney/client relationship, we will treat all personal information with the strictest confidentiality and will never disclose it to anyone.
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