Whistleblowers Provide Backbone to Case Against Healthcare Fraud
On Thursday, September 1, the Department of Justice reported that the United States government had settled a False Claims case with Janzen, Johnston & Rockwell Emergency Medicine Management Services Inc. (JJ&R), which is a provider of billing services for physicians, hospitals and other health care providers. JJ&R was accused of submitting false claims involving the programs of Medicare and Medicaid. The company allegedly inflated healthcare claims by submitting higher levels of evaluation and management services, which it used to charge for extra services that were already provided. This case is prime example of the way our health care system continues to be subjected to fraud, corruption, and waste. As a result of the rampant fraud within the system, the government has finally acknowledged the need to employ one of their underutilized weapons in their arsenal: the whistleblower.
In this case alone, the government was able to recover a significant amount in the form of $4.6 million. Had Ms. LeJeanne Harris not come forward to expose the fraud at JJ&R, it would be hard to say if the government would have ever seen this money returned. As a former employee, she would have had a firsthand account of the company’s practices which led to the government losing millions of dollars. It goes to show the amazing power that ordinary citizens can wield if they are willing to stand up to greed and aid their government.
Another reason this case should be important to the average American is that it comes during a time of great financial uncertainty for the U.S. government. Voters made it clear in November 2010 that they wanted the government to bring the debt situation under control. What better way to help this cause than to ensure that the government is receiving and protecting the money that it is due? This is a time when more people need to confront the fraud that they witness everyday and also more whistleblower cases need to be seriously considered by the government. It’s no secret that fraud has been prevalent throughout our health care system, but if more False Claims cases were reported and filed with the government, then we would have a better chance of retaking control of our financial future from the horrors of our insurmountable debt.
Young Law Group is a nationwide leader in whistleblower representation and has successfully represented numerous clients in some of the nation’s largest qui tam cases for over a decade. For a free confidential consultation, please call Eric L. Young, Esquire at (800) 590-4116 or complete our online form.
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