The False Claims Act (FCA) is the single most powerful tool for combating fraud against the U.S. government. It’s also the foundation for nearly every major healthcare fraud case we see today. Originally passed during the Civil War in 1863, the FCA was designed to stop suppliers from defrauding the Union Army. It has since […]
False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733) Read More »
When the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was enacted in 2002, corporate America was still reeling from major scandals like Enron and WorldCom. At Barrett Johnston, we see this law as a key turning point in how whistleblowers were viewed—not as troublemakers, but as vital defenders of financial integrity and public trust. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act introduced sweeping
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Strong whistleblower protections are the backbone of meaningful fraud enforcement. The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (WPA) stands as one of the most important milestones in this evolution—especially for federal employees who witness wrongdoing from within. Before the WPA, government workers who reported fraud, abuse, or waste were often left exposed to retaliation. The 1989
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The Pfizer $2.3 billion settlement in 2009 was a watershed moment in healthcare fraud enforcement. Not only was it the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history at the time, but it also showcased the power of whistleblowers in holding the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies accountable. The case revolved around allegations of Pfizer illegally promoting
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Qui tam cases filed by whistleblowers don’t just result in financial recoveries — someitmes they reshape entire industries. United States ex rel. Franklin v. Parke-Davis (2004) is an example of such industry-shifting cases. The whistleblower in that case was Dr. David Franklin, a former medical liaison at Parke-Davis, a subsidiary of Warner-Lambert (later acquired by
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Most healthcare fraud involves at least one form of fraudulent billing. At Barrett Johnston, PLLC, we help whistleblowers identify recognize these schemes and craft them into viable allegations because they often serve as the foundation for False Claims Act cases. For FCA purposes, fraudulent billing refers to the submission of claims to Medicare, Medicaid, or
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At Barrett Johnston, one of the most common fears we hear from potential whistleblowers is: What if I lose my job? This concern goes to the heart of retaliation, a legal concept that protects employees who report fraud or misconduct. Retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee because they engaged in
In federal False Claims Act (FCA) cases, the whistleblower is often referred to as the “relator.” We emphasize this term because it highlights the special legal role ordinary citizens can play in exposing fraud. A relator is the individual who files a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the United States government. Unlike a traditional
Healthcare fraud often hides in plain sight. One of the most important terms for anyone exploring fraud in the healthcare system is the Stark Law, also known as the Physician Self-Referral Law. It’s a concept that comes up frequently in whistleblower cases, yet many people outside the legal and medical fields aren’t sure what it
The Stark Law, formally known as the Physician Self-Referral Law, is one of the most important — and most complex — regulations in healthcare fraud enforcement. At its core, Stark Law prohibits physicians from referring Medicare or Medicaid patients to entities in which they (or an immediate family member) have a financial interest. For example,
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