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A nurse who filed several whistleblower lawsuits over the course of a decade has collected a total of $6 million in whistleblower awards.
According to an article by Becker’s Hospital Review, the nurse, Cecilia G., acted as a whistleblower by filing lawsuits under the False Claims Act, bringing claims of fraud to the attention of the federal government. The government took up these claims, and as a result, each of the hospital facilities involved settled those cases for substantial sums. For her part in the litigation, Cecilia received substantial whistleblower awards.
Cecilia has filed three whistleblower lawsuits against former employers, hospitals that she alleges committed Medicare and Medicaid fraud against the government.
Her first whistleblower lawsuit was filed in 2008 against Christus Health in Corpus Christi, Texas. She claimed that the hospital billed cardiac blockage removal procedures as inpatient when they should properly be classified as outpatient, thus charging the government more. Though she tried to report her concerns to hospital executives, they allegedly ignored these issues. She said she resigned in 2007, leading to her 2008 lawsuit. That lawsuit was settled with the Department of Justice for $5.1 million.
Her 2012 lawsuit against Renown Health, based in Reno, Nevada, alleged that the facility overcharged Medicare, and the claims were settled for $9.5 million.
A third hospital, Banner Health in Phoenix, was filed in 2012 over false claims against Medicare, and was settled for $18.8 million.
Cecilia received substantial whistleblower awards for her part in the settlement agreements for these lawsuits: $1.02 million, $1.7 million, and $3.3 million, respectively, totaling a considerable $6 million in whistleblower awards.
Filing a Whistleblower Lawsuit Over Government Fraud
Lawsuits like Cecilia’s are often brought to the attention of the government by whistleblowers—that is, individuals who have noticed fraud against the government and filed litigation on behalf of the government. The federal government may then choose to intervene in the lawsuit, and, if the suit is successful, the whistleblower is rewarded for their part in alerting the government.
Whistleblowers are often given 15 to 30 percent of the reward money. In many cases, whistleblowers are employees of the company committing government fraud. Many whistleblower lawsuits end up bringing in millions in settlement money, so a whistleblower monetary reward can be significant.
A person considering becoming a whistleblower on behalf of the government may worry about being fired or otherwise retaliated against at work. However, there are regulations in place to protect whistleblowers from this kind of retaliation.
If you believe you have witnessed some kind of fraud against the government by your current or former employer, you may be able to file a whistleblower lawsuit (also known as a qui tam lawsuit) on behalf of the government under the False Claims Act. These kinds of lawsuits have been filed over Medicare billing fraud, fraud against other insurers, physician/hospital kickbacks, and many other types of government financial fraud.
In general, whistleblower and qui tam lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions. Whistleblowers can only join this investigation if they are reporting fraud against the government, meaning that the government must be the victim, and that the alleged fraud should be a substantial loss of money.
Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual qui tam lawsuit or whistleblower class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.
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Join a Free Whistleblower, Qui Tam Lawsuit Investigation
If you believe that you have witnessed fraud committed against the government, you may have a legal claim. Whistleblowers can only join this investigation if they are reporting fraud against the government, meaning that the government must be the victim, and that the alleged fraud should be a substantial loss of money.
See if you qualify to pursue compensation and join a whistleblower lawsuit investigation by submitting your information for a free case evaluation.
An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case.
PLEASE NOTE: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client or getting you dropped as a client.
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