Partner, Jeff Marcus, an attorney with significant experience handling False Claim Act investigations and litigating qui tam cases, will speak on a panel discussion entitled, “How the Sausage is Made: The Government’s Process for Evaluating False Claims Act Whistleblower Allegations and Helping Relators Build Evidence,” at the 19th Annual Health Care Compliance Association Conference for healthcare compliance professionals from a variety of healthcare backgrounds, including in-house counsel, compliance officers, billing and coding professionals, auditors, nurses, risk managers, ethics officers, privacy officers and health information professionals.
Qui tam lawsuits have come to dominate the government’s False Claims Act recoveries against the healthcare industry. Indeed, the past few years have resulted in record FCA settlements, and the panelists will highlight some recent cases affecting physician practices and hospitals.
- In each instance that a qui tam lawsuit is filed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the relevant judicial district, together with the Department of Justice, evaluates the strength of the claims. The government’s decision to intervene is often viewed as a crucial turning point.
- The panelists will draw on their experience as federal prosecutors in some of the most active districts in the country to pull back the curtain on the interactions between whistleblowers, their counsel and the government, who often work together to build FCA cases, usually in real time.
- The speakers will discuss best practices in handling potential whistleblowers, both from a compliance program perspective but also to minimize the risks presented by any active investigation being directed by the government behind the scenes.
When: April 18-22, 2015
Where: Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts, Lake Buena Vista, Florida