False Claims Act (or Whistleblower Act) and Hospital Fraud
Shauna Itri is a shareholder at Berger & Montague, PC concentrating her practice on complex litigation, specifically representing whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the United States and tax and securities whistleblowers with claims under the IRS and SEC whistleblower programs. Ms. Itri has worked on a variety of whistleblower cases involving fraud, waste, and abuse on the government, including a series of whistleblower cases against large drug companies for fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid drug pricing which has returned well over $1 billion to state and federal governments. Ms. Itri received a B.A. and an M.A. from Stanford University. While attending Stanford University, Ms. Itri captained the Stanford University Women's Soccer Team. Ms. Itri is presently an adjunct professor, teaching a white-collar crime and corporate deviance course at Widener University (and formerly Villanova University).
A whistleblower or qui tam action can provide financial rewards to individuals who provide information that a company, hospital, or individual has defrauded the government. The primary statutes under which this relief may be sought are the federal and state False Claims Acts (“FCAs”). State and federal governments pay hundreds of billions of dollars each year for pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, hospital care, and nursing home care through Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. Thus, the False Claims Act is often applied in the healthcare industry to fight fraud and specifically fraud committed by hospitals. Whistleblowers who report this fraud receive 15-25% of the amount recovered.
Much confusion lies around the whistleblower laws or claims brought under the False Claims Act. A whistleblower or qui tam action can provide financial rewards to individuals who provide information that a company or individual has defrauded the government. On the contrary, if the government finds that you have engaged in fraud against the government and you could be potentially be named in a whistleblower suit and be prosecuted civilly and/or criminally. Because state and federal governments pay hundreds of billions of dollars each year for healthcare, fraud waste and abuse are particularly rampant in hospitals and hospital systems. Attend this 60-minute webinar to understand the framework of the False Claims Act (or whistleblower statute), the procedures for filing a False Claims Act case, and the importance of protecting the court’s seal. I will also discuss the pros/cons of bringing a case and important information you should bring to the attention of the government and the attorney representing you.
Learning Objectives
The elements of a False Claims Act case will be explained. Types of False Claims Act cases brought against hospitals and in healthcare settings. Examples of False Claims Act cases that have been successful and have recovered money for the government and rewarded whistleblowers for reporting fraud. Tools to be used to spot a potential whistleblower case and documentation needed to report the case.
Who Should Attend
This webinar will provide valuable assistance to all personnel in medical offices, practice groups, hospitals, academic medical centers, business associates (shredding, data storage, systems vendors, billing services, etc). The titles are Compliance director, CEO, CFO, Privacy Officer, Security Officer, Information Systems Manager, Chief Information Officer, Health Information Manager, Healthcare Counsel/lawyer, Office Manager, Contracts Manager, Physicians, Nurses, Medical Staff.
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$200.00
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