Attorneys Experienced With Representing Health Care Whistleblowers
Hoyer Law Group, PLLC’s attorneys have experience representing whistleblowers in all sectors of the health care industry, from physicians and nurses to hospital administrators, pharmaceutical sales representatives, and health insurance executives.
We represent employees in a variety of cases, including allegations of fraud and patient safety concerns.
Two of our primary practice areas include prosecuting individuals and companies who have committed fraud against government healthcare programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare under the False Claims Act, and combatting illegal retaliation against providers at Veterans Health Administration facilities under the federal Whistleblower Protection Act, 5 U.S.C. § 2302.
Whether you are seeking to blow the whistle on a company defrauding the federal government, or you need guidance and a fierce advocate to help protect your career and reputation, our aggressive whistleblower attorneys can help.
Under the federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 to 3733, an individual, known as a “relator,” may bring claims on behalf of the federal government seeking to recover money wrongfully taken through fraudulent claims. A successful whistleblower may receive a reward of up to 30% of the amount recovered. Many states, including Florida, have similar laws that apply to state-funded programs. You can read more about our whistleblower rewards practice page, which includes claims relating to health care and other government expenditures.
In the health care context, a false claim can be many things, such as a claim for services that were never rendered, overbilling for a service by using an excessively complex CPT code or inappropriate modifier (often called upcoding), or performing and billing for a service that was not medically necessary. More complex types of false claims may involve illegal kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b, or physician self-referrals in violation of the Stark Law. We have experience successfully litigating a whole host of healthcare-related false claims, including hospice and durable medical equipment fraud, illegal off-label pharmaceutical marketing and sales, and fraud committed by and against managed care plans.
Whistleblowing takes courage. It is a scary proposition to stand up against your employer. Fortunately, there are many federal and state laws that protect healthcare whistleblowers. For example, the False Claims Act contains a robust anti-retaliation provision, codified at 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h), which protects employees and contractors who take lawful acts to stop what they reasonably believe to be a violation of the False Claims Act. Employers may be liable for double back pay, compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees if they retaliate against a whistleblower.
If you suspect that your employer is committing health care fraud, call our whistleblower attorneys today. We’ll evaluate your concerns, discuss your options with you, and help you navigate a course that protects your patients and your career.
In addition to representing healthcare professionals in claims of fraud, we also fight for whistleblowers who have taken a stand over patient safety concerns or reported violations of laws, rules, or regulations, and fraud, waste, abuse, and gross mismanagement.
In particular, we have built a niche practice fighting for employees of the VA. We understand the intricacies of Title 38 of the United States Code, under which the VA hires many of its healthcare professionals, and we have represented numerous employees in proceedings under the Whistleblower Protection Act, 5 U.S.C. § 2302, before the VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP), the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).
Our experienced whistleblower attorneys can help you determine if there is a violation, guide you through blowing the whistle in a manner calculated to protect your career, and fight for your rights if your employer retaliates. Call us at 844-277-1217 or contact us online today for a consultation.
