There were a record high 543 False Claims Act settlements and judgements in 2023, according to a Feb. 22 Justice Department news release.
Five things to know:
1. False Claims Act settlements and judgements hit nearly $2.69 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, according to the release.
2. More than $1.8 billion of those judgements and settlements involved the healthcare industry.
3. The $1.8 billion reflects recoveries arising only from federal losses, but the Justice Department was also instrumental in recovering additional funds for state Medicaid programs, according to the report.
4. The recoveries reflected the department's key enforcement priorities that included fraud in pandemic relief programs and alleged violations of cybersecurity requirements in government contracts and grants, according to the report.
5. The total judgment and settlement amount was up from the $2.24 billion reported in 2022. That figure is down from $5.71 billion in 2021, which was the second-highest amount recovered in False Claims Act history.