$520,000 False Claims Act settlement is second this week.
The state of Georgia is cracking down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
If there’s any doubt on that score, just look at the two False Claims Act settlements that came out this week – a $20 million settlement with the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and a $520,000 settlement with Irwin County Hospital in Ocilla.
Mike Bothwell of the Bothwell Law Group in Atlanta, who helped settle the second case in less than 20 months, notes that heath care fraud cases can be complex, but that the law provides real rewards for whistleblowers who step up with insider information that leads to recoveries and an end to fraud schemes.
In his Irwin County Hospital case, won with the help of co‐counsel Brandon Hornsby at the Hornsby Law Group in Atlanta, the whistleblowers walked away with a $130,000 award for helping stop the fraud, and as compensation for the retaliation that followed.
Federal and State False Claims Acts allow private citizens with insider knowledge of fraud, waste, and abuse to bring an action on behalf of the governments in order to stop the fraud. If the case is won, the government can recover over three times the amount defrauded, and successful whistleblowers can receive between 15 and 30 percent of the governments’ recovery.
“It’s all about incentivizing integrity,” says Bothwell. “Chiselers are always incentivized to cheat. The False Claims Act sets things right by providing a countervailing incentive to do the right thing.”
There’s no question the False Claims Act works. Last year, the U.S. government and the states recovered well over $6 billion thanks to whistleblower‐initiated cases.
Bothwell notes that a lot of False Claims Act cases involve health care – a situation likely to continue as the Affordable Care Act kicks in.
The Macon hospital settlement involved allegation of upcoding for more expensive inpatient services when the billing should have been for less costly outpatient or observation services.
In the Irwin County Hospital case, the allegations involved kickbacks for patient referrals and for billing for improperly performed imaging services.
Bothwell notes that it looks like a real fraud‐fighting partnership is forming between Georgia Attorney General Sam Olen’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the U.S. Department of Justice, and Georgia whistleblowers and their attorneys.
“We’re seeing a real public/private partnership that is bringing a real dividend for the American people. That’s exactly how the law is supposed to work.” Mike Bothwell, Whistleblower Attorney
________________________________
About the Bothwell Law Group:
Since 1996, the Bothwell Law Group has earned a national reputation for successful representation of whistleblowers in federal and state courts across the United States, and is one of only a handful of firms exclusively representing whistleblowers. Bothwell Law Group’s cases have resulted in the recovery of more than $400 million for the United States treasury and in the payment of millions of dollars in whistleblower rewards. Inquiries may be directed to Mike Bothwell at (770) 643‐1606, email Mike@WhistleblowerLaw.com.
For more information about the firm, FCA settlements and FCA experience, see
www.whistleblowerlaw.com
Knowing without a doubt that someone is doing wrong is enough reason to become a whistleblower in a Medicaid fraud case, right? In a perfect world, you would come forward with the information, and the guilty party gets sentenced. You become a hero, and everyone sings your praises. However, this is not always the case.
If you’re aware of Medicaid fraud, you need to know about Medicaid qui tam lawyers. Medicaid fraud is hard to execute and is often even harder to prove, which is why it’s vital to have a qualified lawyer on your side. 
The False Claims Act is well-suited to deal with current Medicaid problems. Surprisingly, the law came out of the Civil War to combat other types of government fraud. The principles still hold true today. Furthermore, the government uses them more often to prosecute businesses and individuals who attempt to defraud the government’s healthcare system. 
If you notice Medicaid fraud, you may think about becoming a Medicaid fraud whistleblower. You want to do the right thing, and the possibility of a substantial financial reward doesn’t hurt either. But before you blow the whistle, keep the following considerations in mind, because the whistleblowing process isn’t always pretty. Also, it is something that is very hard to stop once it begins.
Health services make up a large portion of the American economy, so medical insurance fraud is a common occurrence. Kickbacks are one of the most common forms of illegal behavior in the healthcare setting, but why is this the case? And what are kickbacks, anyway? Read on to find out.
If you’re considering reporting Medicare fraud or have been the victim of retaliation for blowing the whistle, you may want to consider talking to a Medicare fraud attorney. Whistleblower laws are complex. In order to receive protection, you have to have reported an actual violation. The Medicare laws are complex. Without a strong background in Medicare law, even an experienced attorney may struggle to properly evaluate whether Medicare fraud occurred.
If you have knowledge of fraud being committed by an organization that receives Medicaid funds, you may have grounds to become a Medicaid fraud whistleblower. Medicaid provides healthcare benefits to qualifying households from government funds. In order to become a Medicaid recipient, you must fall within certain