This is a good summary of the government’s increased emphasis on fraud and abuse.
By Jeff Weinstein and Scott Honiberg for HealthLeaders Media
President Obama recently signed off on legislation that very likely will result in a substantial increase in lawsuits against health care providers. Intended to combat fraud in the Medicare & Medicaid programs, several amendments in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act significantly change the status quo, and will require greater vigilance by healthcare providers in their dealings with the federal government.
What the law means for the whistle–blower
The most dramatic change in the law concerns whistle–blower actions under the federal False Claims Act (FCA). The FCA is one of the government’s most important tools in fighting fraud such as false billings and requests for payment, or improper retention of government overpayments. In perhaps the most important provision of the new legislation, a whistle–blower who initiates a lawsuit under the FCA alleging such fraud no longer must be the “original source” of the information.