Author Archives: Site Administrator
Fifty-Five Hospitals Agree to Resolve False Claims Act Case for $34 Million
The Justice Department announced that 55 hospitals in 21 states have agreed to pay $34 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. Fourteen of the hospitals are located in Florida: Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami; Aventura Hospital & Medical Center in Aventura; Capital Regional Medical Center in Tallahassee; Doctors… Read More »
Government Contractor SAIC Pays $11.75 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case
Science Applications International Corporation (“SAIC”) has agreed to pay $11.75 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. Virginia-based SAIC provides scientific, engineering, and technical services to commercial and government customers. According to the Justice Department, between 2002 and 2012, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (“New Mexico Tech”)… Read More »
Ranbaxy USA, Inc. Agrees to $500 Million Settlement
Ranbaxy USA, Inc., a division of generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited based in India, has agreed with the U.S. to settle criminal and civil charges. The charges relate to the manufacture and distribution of allegedly adulterated drugs made at two Ranbaxy facilities in India. A drug is deemed to be “adulterated” if it… Read More »
C.R. Bard Agrees to Settle Qui Tam Suit
New Jersey-based C.R. Bard, Inc. (“Bard”), a manufacturer and marketer of medical products, has agreed to settle a qui tam action for $48.26 million. According to the Justice Department, the suit relates to Bard’s sales of brachytherapy seeds (“seeds”) used to treat prostate cancer. Brachytherapy seeds are small radioactive pellets that are implanted in… Read More »
False Claims Act Used in Florida Section 8 Housing Cases
Two landlords accused of shaking down low-income tenants for excess rent payments were recently sued under the federal False Claims Act. According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Legal Services of Greater Miami, the landlords George David Horton, a pastor at Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, and John Joseph,… Read More »
Adventist Health Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit
California-based Adventist Health System/West d/b/a Adventist Health (“Adventist”) and its affiliated hospital White Memorial Medical Center (“White”) have agreed to settle a False Claims Act case with the U.S. and the state of California. As part of the settlement, Adventist and White agreed to pay $11.5 million to the federal government and $2.6 million… Read More »
Second False Claims Lawsuit Filed Against Novartis
According to the Department of Justice, New Jersey-based Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has been sued by the United States a second time for allegedly paying kickbacks to health care providers in return for prescribing Novartis drugs that were reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. In September 2010, Novartis settled a similar suit regarding its drugs… Read More »
Changes Proposed to Florida’s False Claims Act
The Florida Legislature is currently considering a pair of bills designed to update Florida’s False Claims Act, section 68.081, et seq, Florida Statutes (“Florida FCA”). Modeled after the Federal False Claims Act (“Federal FCA”), the Florida FCA authorizes private individuals or whistleblowers to bring “qui tam” suits, in the name of the state government,… Read More »
Amgen Pays $24.9 Million to Settle Qui Tam Case
Fortune 500 biotech firm Amgen, Inc., based in California, has agreed to pay $24.9 million to settle allegations that it defrauded various federal and state health programs including Medicare and Medicaid. According to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, $14.7 million of the settlement amount will be shared among several states, with Florida to receive… Read More »
Volusia County Hospital Accused of Submitting $200 Million in False Claims
Halifax Hospital Medical Center (“Halifax”), in Daytona Beach, Florida, is preparing to battle the United States in what could be the largest whistleblower case of its kind in the nation. According to whistleblower Elin Baklid-Kunz, Halifax violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary hospital admissions and inappropriate… Read More »