The case netted the largest criminal fine ever imposed in the United States for any matter, $1.195 billion, and the largest civil fraud settlement against any pharmaceutical company. Qui tam “relators” are not eligible to receive shares of criminal fines.

What is a qui tam provision?

Definition. In a qui tam action, a private party called a relator brings an action on the government’s behalf. The government, not the relator, is considered the real plaintiff. For example, the federal False Claims Act authorizes qui tam actions against parties who have defrauded the federal government.

What is qui tam actions in healthcare?

What is a Qui Tam Action? A Medicare Qui Tam action is when an individual sues or prosecutes for Medicare fraud (false claims), or violations of Anti-Kickback or Stark Law in the name of the government. The individual then shares in the proceeds of any successful litigation or settlement — sometimes as much as 30%.

What is a qui tam complaint?

A qui tam lawsuit is a lawsuit brought by a whistleblower to enforce the federal False Claims Act or analogous state statutes, laws that impose civil liability on persons or companies who knowingly make or cause others to make false claims for the payment of government funds.

What does qui tam mean in English?

What does qui tam mean? Qui tam is short for the Latin phrase “qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur,” which roughly translates to “he who brings an action for the king as well as for himself.”

How long do qui tam cases take?

How long does a qui tam action take? The time from the filing of a qui tam action until its resolution varies greatly from case to case. Most cases, however, are resolved in two to five years. We have handled cases that lasted over eight years, but that is unusual.

What is the False Claims Act in healthcare?

The False Claim Act is a federal law that makes it a crime for any person or organization to knowingly make a false record or file a false claim regarding any federal health care program, which includes any plan or program that provides health benefits, whether directly, through insurance or otherwise, which is funded …

What is an example of a violation of the False Claims Act?

Examples of practices that may violate the False Claims Act if done knowingly and intentionally, include the following: Billing for services not rendered. Knowingly submitting inaccurate claims for services. Taking or giving a kickback for a referral.

Who can be whistleblower?

Definition: A whistleblower is a person, who could be an employee of a company, or a government agency, disclosing information to the public or some higher authority about any wrongdoing, which could be in the form of fraud, corruption, etc.