Evans Law Firm, Inc. issued the following announcement on Aug. 11.
Prime Healthcare and Its CEO Settle Whistleblower Case for False “Upcoding”
Whistleblower Will Receive $17.2 Million Reward
A California Registered Nurse will receive a $17.2 million reward for blowing the whistle on her employer’s false claims to the federal government for reimbursement under Medicare.[1] The employer, Prime Healthcare, is the nation’s fifth largest hospital chain and owns and operates hospitals throughout California. An employed ER nurse blew the whistle on the company’s scheme of pressuring ER teams to admit patients who did not need inpatient care and then billing the government for the maximum hospital stay permitted even though the patients were usually discharged right after admission. Significantly, Prime Healthcare’s CEO will pay $3.25 million of the settlement. As the whistleblower’s counsel observed, “These schemes … do not happen without the involvement of powerful individuals who control corporate conduct.”
The California whistleblower lawyers at Evans Law Firm, Inc. represent plaintiffs and whistleblowers in healthcare fraud and False Claims Act cases every day. We litigate false claims whistleblower cases in the California State courts and federal courts all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Offending companies include hospital, clinic and laboratory chains; pharmaceutical companies; medical equipment manufacturers; and other healthcare providers. If you or a loved one has information regarding invalid or false claims under Medicare or Medicaid or any other government program, call the Evans Law Firm today at (415)441-8669 and we can help.
The rewards for whistleblowers, such as in this case, are big. In the past six years, the government paid out $3 billion in whistleblower awards. While the cases are lengthy, potential rewards are thus worth the effort. If you have hard evidence of false claims against the government, don’t just pick up a phone and call the relevant agency; if you do that, you will jeopardize your chances at a reward. Call experienced counsel instead. The California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm know what the government looks for in these cases and can effectively guide a case through initial application, investigation and discovery, and trial.
Original source can be found here.