Government recovers $2B+ in healthcare FCA actions for 5th year

Recoveries involving false claims against healthcare programs made up a significant portion of the federal government's total $5.7 billion in civil fraud recoveries in 2014, according to a report from the law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims.

The federal government recovered $2.3 billion in enforcement actions related to false claims against federal healthcare programs in 2014, marking the fifth consecutive year that segment of False Claims Act-related recoveries exceeded $2 billion.

There were more than $300 million in false claims-related judgments and settlements against hospitals in 2014, according to the report.

Qui tam, or whistle-blower, lawsuits are serving as the driving force behind the government's recoveries. Whistle-blowers filed more than 700 FCA lawsuits in 2014 and took home more than $435 million — nearly $100 million more than the preceding year — as their portion of settlements and judgments.

"As the entire healthcare industry is going through a period of unprecedented change, we are witnessing intense scrutiny of healthcare organizations as it relates to alleged fraud in federal healthcare programs," said Brian D. Roark, head of Bass, Berry & Sims' Healthcare Fraud Task Force. "We don't expect this enforcement trend to slow down any time soon."

More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits:

19 recently unsealed False Claims Act cases: 5 things to know
Notre Dame's contraception challenge to be revisited
9 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements

Copyright © 2025 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.


You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy
.
 

Articles We Think You'll Like