The Department of Justice announced today that it has intervened in two whistleblower cases alleging that Florida cardiologist Dr. Asad Qamar and the Institute for Cardiovascular Excellence PLLC, his physician group, billed Medicare for medically unnecessary procedures and paid kickbacks to patients: The lawsuits allege that Qamar and ICE performed excessive and medically unnecessary peripheral artery interventional…
Lockheed Martin Pays $27.5 Million to Settle FCA Allegations
DOJ announced on Friday that Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems has agreed to pay $27.5 million to settle allegations that the company improperly billed for work done by employees who failed to meet the requirements of Lockheed’s contract: The alleged labor mischarging occurred on the Rapid Response (CR2) contract and the Strategic Services Sourcing (S3) contract,…
Military Foodservice Contractor to Pay $389 Million to U.S., Plead Guilty
The Department of Justice has announced that it resolved a case against a foodservice company contracted to provide food and water to the U.S. military. According to the press release, Supreme Foodservice GmbH and Supreme Foodservice FZE pled guilty to “major fraud against the United States and paid $288.36 million in the criminal case, a sum…
DOJ Intervenes in Case Against Nevada Hospice
The government has intervened in a suit brought by a whistleblower alleging that Creekside Hospice LLC and affiliated entities improperly enrolled patients in its hospice programs that were not terminally ill. Creekside allegedly altered records to render patients eligible for hospice care and to eliminate references to patients’ improved health. The hospice company also allegedly…
Virginia Attorney General Expands Medicaid Fraud Fighting Efforts
Ken Cuccinelli, Attorney General of Virginia, has almost doubled the size of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to nearly 80 employees. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit handles Medicaid fraud and elder abuse cases. Over the last 30 years, the unit has recovered almost $800 million, collecting more than $15 million last year. Cuccinelli has also…
Visiting Nurse Service to Pay $35 Million to Settle FCA Suit
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced that it had settled a False Claims Act suit against Visiting Nurse Service: [T]he United States has settled civil fraud claims under the False Claims Act against VISITING NURSE SERVICE OF NEW YORK, VNS CHOICE, and VNS CHOICE COMMUNITY CARE (collectively, “VNS”) related to…
Amgen Settlement May Be Near, $780 Million Anticipated
Amgen stated on Monday that it had reached an agreement in principle to settle both federal and state allegations of illegal marketing tactics. The settlement is expected to resolve all criminal and civil allegations, including those brought by whistleblowers. Amgen reserved $780 million for this settlement on Monday. According to Amgen, the suits pertain to…
Department of Justice Intervenes in Whistleblower Case Against Sikorsky Aircraft Corp
The Department of Justice announced that it has intervened in a qui tam whistleblower case charging that the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and two of its subsidiaries violated the False Claims Act. The government’s complaint alleges that Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation approved an illegal cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost subcontract between Sikorsky Support Services Inc., and Derco Aerospace. A cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost contract…
DaVita to Pay $400 Million to Resolve Kickback Allegations
The Department of Justice announced today that it settled a False Claims Act case against dialysis company DaVita Healthcare Partners: DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc., one of the leading providers of dialysis services in the United States, has agreed to pay $350 million to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks…
Science Applications International Corporation Agrees to Pay the US $1.5 Million to Resolve FCA Allegations of Organizational Conflicts of Interest
The Justice Department announced today that SAIC has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve an FCA lawsuit alleging that it knowingly engaged in prohibited conflicts of interest as a contractor for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) between 1992 and 2000. The settlement comes after more than a decade of litigation. SAIC provides scientific,…