The nursing home industry collects billions of dollars every year in Greenville and the surrounding areas. A significant portion of this money comes from the federal healthcare plans of Medicare and Medicaid. The need to turn greater profits or a simple lack of ethics leads to a high frequency of fraud.
This fraud violates federal law. At the same time, the federal government lacks the time and resources to investigate every allegation. Due to this, it often relies on information from whistleblowers to learn about new instances of fraud.
A Greenville nursing home fraud whistleblower lawyer may be able to help you if you believe that you have information about these violations of federal law. This not only includes helping you to submit a complaint, but it may also involve demanding a reward for your information and protecting you from potential retaliation.
Allegations of nursing home fraud usually involve violations of the False Claims Act. According to 31 United States Code § 3729, no party may knowingly submit a false claim for payment to the federal government. This applies to nursing homes because many of these businesses receive payments from Medicaid or Medicare for their services.
Due to this, nursing homes must be sure to submit accurate claims for payment. This includes only demanding payments for services rendered, properly billing residents, and ensuring adherence to the patients’ bill of rights. A Greenville nursing home fraud whistleblower attorney could provide more information about the False Claims Act and how it prohibits false demands for payment from the federal government.
Serving as a whistleblower is the right thing to do. It performs a vital service for the community in cutting down on waste as well as exposing fraudulent nursing homes. Any individual should feel good about serving in this role.
However, being a whistleblower can also come with a financial incentive. The Qui Tam reward program can result in the payment of rewards to whistleblowers to provide information that leads to a conviction. Specifically, 31 United States Code § 3730(c)(5) outlines the requirements for receiving a reward for providing information about fraud under the False Claims Act. It states that a whistleblower may receive a reward at a value of between 15 and 25 percent of the funds that the government receives in the case.
Unfortunately, this reward is not available to everyone. Members of law enforcement and those required under the law to make a report cannot receive a reward. In addition, this information must be new to the government and result in a conviction of a substantial monetary value. A Greenville nursing home fraud whistleblower lawyer could help parties to pursue rewards through writs of Qui Tam.
Nursing home fraud is a consistent problem throughout the country. Since these businesses submit claims for payment to the federal government through the Medicare or Medicaid programs, any intentional attempt to collect improper payments is a violation of federal law.
The government often relies on witnesses to this behavior to serve as whistleblowers. A Greenville nursing home fraud lawyer could help you to serve in this role. This can include gathering more evidence, forming comprehensive complaints, demanding proper rewards, and protecting you against potential retaliation. Reach out to a Greenville nursing home fraud lawyer today to learn more.
