The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that False Claims Act (FCA) civil case settlements and judgements exceeded $5.6 Billion in Fiscal Year 2021 (FY2021). This is the second largest dollar amount ever recorded and the largest dollar amount since 2014. Over $5 billion involves matters concerning the healthcare industry.
Takeaways
- As in previous years, healthcare fraud was the largest component of the DOJ’s FCA settlements and judgements during FY2021;
- The largest FCA settlements during this period were resolutions with prescription opioid manufacturers;
- 598 qui tam suits were filed by whistleblowers during FY2021, representing over $1.6 billion in settlements and judgements in these and earlier-filed suits;
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOJ worked with various Inspector Generals and other regulatory stakeholders to investigate improper payments under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP);
- Other major areas of enforcement noted by the DOJ included, Medicare Advantage Program (Medicare Part C), unlawful kickbacks, unnecessary medical services, procurement fraud, and cybersecurity.
The DOJ announcement and FCA FY2021 statistics can be read in their entirety at: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-s-false-claims-act-settlements-and-judgments-exceed-56-billion-fiscal-year.
Copyright 2022. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Ankura Consulting Group, LLC., its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals. Ankura is not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice.
