whistle blower defense attorney | The Health Law Firm Blog

Dermatologist Pays $1.74 Million Settlement in FCA Suit For Inflated Medicare Claims in Florida

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On March 13, 2020, a Florida dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon agreed to pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA). United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that Dr. Thi Thien Nguyen Tran and Village Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, L.L.C. agreed to settle the case involving allegedly inflated Medicare claims. The settlement concludes the qui tam (whistleblowers) civil lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Alleged Inflated Claims to Medicare.

According to the settlement agreement, from 2011 through 2016, Dr. Tran […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:58-04:00June 18, 2020|Mental Health Law Blog|

Florida Dermatologist Pays $1.74 Million To Settle Medicaid FCA Suit

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On March 13, 2020, a Florida dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon agreed to pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA). United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that Dr. Thi Thien Nguyen Tran and Village Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, L.L.C. agreed to settle the case involving allegedly inflated Medicare claims. The settlement concludes the qui tam (whistleblowers) civil lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Inflated Claims to Medicare Alleged in Suit.

According to the settlement agreement, from 2011 through 2016, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:59-04:00May 28, 2020|Nursing Law Blog|

Dermatologist in Florida Agrees to Pay $1.74 Million To Settle Medicaid FCA Suit

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On March 13, 2020, a Florida dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon agreed to pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA). United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that Dr. Thi Thien Nguyen Tran and Village Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, L.L.C. agreed to settle the case involving allegedly inflated Medicare claims. The settlement concludes the qui tam (whistleblowers) civil lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Inflated Claims to Medicare Claimed in Suit.

According to the settlement agreement, from 2011 through 2016, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:00-04:00May 7, 2020|Health Facilities Law Blog|

Wisconsin Supermarket Violated FCA With Illegal Kickbacks, Pharmacist Claims

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 20, 2016, a pharmacist and whistle blower told an Illinois federal court that Wisconsin and Chicago-area chain of grocery stores, Roundy’s Supermarket, Inc. (Roundy’s), knew gift cards it was providing Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries were actually illegal kickbacks. In defense of his False Claims Act (FCA) Suit, the whistle blower claims the chain proceeded to hand them out anyway despite knowing they were illegal.

The Whistle Blower and the Alleged Scheme.

The whistle blower in the suit, pharmacist Jefferey Kotwica, alleged the company was involved in illegal kickbacks, thus allegedly defrauding government health care […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:41-04:00May 15, 2018|Pharmacy Law Blog|

Kmart Agrees to Pay $32.3 million to Settle Whistle Blower’s False Claims Act Suit

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 22, 2017, Kmart Corporation agreed to pay $32.3 million to settle a whistle blower lawsuit alleging its pharmacies caused federal health programs to overpay for prescription drugs by not telling the government about discounted prices. The department store chain withheld certain information from Medicare Part D, Medicaid and Tricare, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

The Whistle Blower False Claims Act (FCA) Suit.

The new agreement resolves allegations arising from a 2008 lawsuit brought under the qui tam, or whistle blower, provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA). This provision permits private citizens […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:42-04:00May 15, 2018|Pharmacy Law Blog|

DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 14, 2016, the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics. It revealed that the DOJ obtained more than $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in fiscal year 2016. What this indicates to me is that, if all of these cases had been brought by individual relators, those relators could have shared in as much as $1.41 billion as their personal reward for the relator’s part of the recoveries. A whistle blower can receive […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:52-04:00May 15, 2018|Mental Health Law Blog|

Nursing Home Chain Reaches Record High False Claims Act Settlement With DOJ

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On October 24, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Life Care Centers of America will be paying $145 million to end False Claims Act (FCA) litigation that alleged the company submitted false claims to Medicare for rehabilitation therapy services that were not necessary. This settlement is a FCA record for the nursing industry and DOJ claims it is the largest in the Department’s history.

Who Blew The Whistle?

Tammie Taylor and Glenda Martin, the two whistle blowers and former employees of Life Care, will be splitting the $29 million cut of the payout […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:17-04:00May 15, 2018|Health Facilities Law Blog|

Wisconsin Supermarket Violated FCA With Illegal Kickbacks, Pharmacist Claims

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 20, 2016, a pharmacist and whistle blower told an Illinois federal court that Wisconsin and Chicago-area chain of grocery stores, Roundy’s Supermarket, Inc. (Roundy’s), knew gift cards it was providing Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries were actually illegal kickbacks. In defense of his False Claims Act (FCA) Suit, the whistle blower claims the chain proceeded to hand them out anyway despite knowing they were illegal.

The Whistle Blower and the Alleged Scheme.

The whistle blower in the suit, pharmacist Jefferey Kotwica, alleged the company was involved in illegal kickbacks, thus allegedly defrauding government health care […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:52-04:00May 15, 2018|Mental Health Law Blog|

Forest Labs Agree to Pay $38 Million Settlement to End Whistle Blower’s FCA Suit

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 15, 2016, Forest Laboratories agreed to pay $38 million to resolve a whistle blower’s False Claims Act (FCA) suit involving allegations that it paid kickbacks to doctors who prescribed three of the company’s drugs, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

The lawsuit contends that Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Forest), targeted physicians who had a high prescription writing potential and large Medicare and Medicaid patient populations. They also allegedly paid those physicians to attend lavish speaking events where the company had the opportunity to give incentives to health care providers to prescribe their products.

The Settlement.

The […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:20-04:00May 15, 2018|Health Facilities Law Blog|

Qui Tam Cases: If You Are Thinking About Blowing the Whistle, Follow These Tips

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

At The Health Law Firm, we have represented many clients that were involved in qui tam cases brought because of false claims under the Medicare False Claims Act (FCA). We have defended health facilities and health professionals, but we have also brought whistle blower cases against health facilities and health professionals, representing the whistle blower. If you are thinking about blowing the whistle on any type of fraud or unlawful conduct by your current or former employer, there are important facts that you should know.

Filing a […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:54-04:00May 15, 2018|Mental Health Law Blog|