So You Want to Blow the Whistle (Part 6): My Case Is On File. Now What?

This is the sixth and final entry in a six-part series on the process and practical realities of being a whistleblower and exposing fraud against the government.

Part 6: My Case Is On File. Now What?

You gathered your evidence. You picked your attorney. You and that attorney spent weeks—or perhaps months—developing your case and getting your False Claims Act complaint on file. The case is now filed, and you are officially and unquestionably a whistleblower. So now what happens?

Now you wait.

For many whistleblowers, this is the single hardest part of the process. After months of fast-paced activity, gathering evidence and talking regularly with your attorney, once the case is on file, that activity will largely stop (at least as far as you will be able to tell). During the month or two after your case is on file, you will likely do an in-person interview at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the district where you filed your case. During that interview, government attorneys and investigators will ask questions and dig a little deeper into your allegations. After that interview, there may be little to no communication from the government for long stretches at a time, and probably no decision from the government about whether to intervene in your case for several years.

During this period, the best thing that you can do is just go on living your life and not dwell on the case or what the government may be doing with its investigation. At some point down the road, the government will make its decision about whether to intervene in your case, and at that point, things will become much more active again. However, until that point, try your best not to become impatient. Check in with your attorney from time to time, and remind yourself that even the best whistleblower cases under the False Claims Act can take years for the government to fully investigate.

Want to learn more? Check out our other posts on the “So You Want to Blow the Whistle” series:

This post is the last of our six-part series, “So You Want to Blow the Whistle?” When read in combination, the series gives a potential whistleblower a good (though general) overview of both the process of becoming a whistleblower and the considerations that go into the decision to move forward. Barrett Johnston Martin & Garrison, PLLC, stays on top of the latest developments involving health care fraud and False Claims Act cases to represent whistleblowers in cases all over the country. If you have information or questions regarding a potential case of health care fraud, schedule a free and confidential consultation with our firm.