The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it is accepting consumer complaints about credit reporting, providing consumers individual-level complaint assistance for the first time at the federal level. To file a credit reporting complaint, consumers can file online at www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Consumers can also lodge a complaint by phone at […]
Author: Martin & Jones
Fiscal Year 2012 A Record Year for False Claims Act Recoveries
Fiscal Year 2012 saw more than $9 billion returned to the government through federal and state False Claims Act cases. Of the 30 largest recoveries in Fiscal Year 2012, 28 were the result of whistleblower-initiated suits. The largest settlement was for $3 billion, with GlaxoSmithKline over illegal marketing of nine […]
CVS Subsidiary Settles False Pricing Allegations Related to Medicare
In one of the first False Claims Act settlements involving Medicare Part D, the Medicare prescription drug program, RxAmerica LLC has agreed to settle fraud claims with the Department of Justice for $5.25 million. RxAmerica is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation and provides prescription drug benefits to Medicare […]
CFPB Investigates Reverse Mortgage Market
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is considering issuing rules aimed at preventing abuses in the reverse mortgage market. The agency is responding to an increasing number of claims by consumers who report losing their homes or facing substantial expense as a result of reverse mortgage scams. Complaints have escalated […]
NC Receives $15.8 Million From Abbott Labs Whistleblower Settlement
In conjunction with a national healthcare fraud settlement with Abbott Labs, North Carolina has recovered $15.8 million. That is the state’s portion of the recently announced $800 million settlement between Abbott Labs and the federal government and states involving the drug Depakote. That drug was approved by the FDA to […]
US DOJ Settles Whistleblower Suit With RxAmerica
On October 15, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a press release setting forth the details of the qui tam (“whistleblower”) case against RxAmerica. The government settled the False Claims Act claims against RxAmerica for $5.25 million. It is one of the first federal False Claim Act settlements regarding […]
CVS Caremark Settles Whistleblower Suits
CVS Caremark has settled whistleblower suits involving claims in California, Florida, and Illinois for $19.9 million. The California qui tam (“whistleblower”) lawsuit was brought by two Caremark pharmacists who became aware of fraudulent practices that resulted in overpayments by the California Public Employees Retirement System. The practices included improperly reselling […]
Omnicare Settles Suit Whistleblower Suit Over Reimbursement Claims
Omnicare, Inc., a supplier of drugs to nursing homes, agreed to settle a whistleblower lawsuit claiming it paid a kickback in buying a pharmacy company and that it submitted false claims for reimbursement to government health insurers. The whistleblower lawsuit was filed in 2007. The whistleblower asserted that Omnicare’s $25 […]
Amex to Pay $85 Million in Refunds for Illegal Practices
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) announced on October 1, 2012 that three American Express subsidiaries will refund $85 million to approximately 250,000 customers in connection with illegal credit card practices. An investigation found that at every stage of the consumer experience, from marketing to enrollment to payment to debt […]
Home Healthcare Provider to Pay $9 Million to Resolve Whistleblower Suit
CareAll Management, LLC (formerly known as Diversified Health Management, Inc.) and related entities have agreed to pay $9.375 million to the federal government to resolve a whistleblower suit filed under the False Claims Act. The complaint alleged that the defendants caused Medicare to pay out money through mistake of fact […]