If you suspect that your employer or another organization is committing fraud, financial mismanagement, unethical practices, or other illegal activities, you have a right to report that illegal activity as a whistleblower. This four step guide to whistleblowing will explain the exact steps you need to take to successfully report…
Insurance fraud can take place across multiple industries, from automobile insurance to medical insurance to property insurance. In most cases, the victim does not even know that he or she has been defrauded. By making yourself aware of common insurance fraud schemes in California, you can better equip yourself to…
Many employees are afraid to report their employer’s illegal conduct in fear that they will be terminated or punished in some way. However, California law prohibits whistleblower retaliation against an employee and offers restitution for those who have been victims of whistleblower retaliation. If you have been the victim of…
It is illegal in California to commit health care fraud, yet with the confusing payment bureaucracy for health care in the United States, health care fraud occurs more frequently than most people think. Health care fraud, also known as medical insurance billing fraud, health insurance fraud, Medicare fraud, Medi-Cal fraud,…
The False Claims Act (FCA), which prohibits entities that conduct business with the government from defrauding the government, goes all the way back to the time of the Civil War. It is sometimes called the Lincoln Law because of the president who was in office when the law went into…
Ever since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, all violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) have been actionable under the False Claims Act (FCA). In plain language, this means that, if you are aware that people in your workplace are defrauding government agencies, you can file a…
Medicare and Medicaid are taxpayer-funded healthcare programs instituted for the purpose of ensuring that all Americans have access to basic health services. Fraud on the part of health care providers is a major threat to these programs and to the health of millions of Americans who benefit from their services.…
Federal authorities arrested five individuals connected to San Fernando Valley clinics and a significant health care fraud scheme. On May 22, a federal grand jury indictment was unsealed. The indictment alleges that the five individuals engaged in a health care fraud conspiracy over multiple years and targeted at least eight…
One of the ways in which physicians and other health care professionals commit fraud against the federal government is through accepting or providing illegal payments or gifts to generate certain business. This type of scheme is also known as kickbacks. One of the most common kickback schemes associated with this…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Lance Armstrong, a former professional cyclist, has agreed to pay the U.S. $5 million to resolve a whistleblower lawsuit regarding allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by using performance-enhancing drugs and methods (PEDs) while sponsored by the U.S. Postal…