Pharmaceutical Company Pays Government and Whistleblower $20.75 Million
The Department of Justice announced that it has recovered $20.75 million from a pharmaceutical company, with the help of a whistleblower.
According to the government press release, the company violated the False Claims Act by disseminating misleading information about one of its products, encouraging physicians to apply the product to patients more frequently than what was medically effective. The government and whistleblower allege that this information was intended to boost sales while subjecting patients to less effective treatment.
The False Claims Act allows individuals who uncover fraud against the government to bring a civil action and share in any recovery. These cases often arise when the fraud is related to Medicare and Medicaid patients. The whistleblower in this case will be awarded approximately $3.5 million.
In addition to allowing whistleblowers a share of the recover, the Act also provides whistleblowers with important protections from workplace retaliation.
If you have uncovered Medicare or Medicaid fraud, contact the whistleblower lawyers at Miller Law Group today for a free and confidential consultation. You can also set up a consultation by calling us at (919) 348-4361.
The settlement discussed above is based on allegations only. No determination of liability has been made.
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