WASHINGTON—More than $1.7 billion in False Claims Act settlements and judgments reported by the Department of Justice in fiscal year 2022 were associated with the health care industry, including homecare sectors such as home health, durable medical equipment (DME) and medical device manufacturers.
Included in the tally is a $24.75 million settlement by DME manufacturer Philips RS North America, LLC, formerly Respironics, Inc. That settlement was in response to allegations that Philips provided unlawful kickbacks to DME suppliers to induce them to select Respironics’ respiratory equipment.
Settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act exceeded $2.2 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, announced. The government and whistleblowers were party to 351 settlements and judgments, the second-highest number of settlements and judgments in a single year in history. Recoveries since 1986, when Congress substantially strengthened the civil False Claims Act, now total more than $72 billion.
“Protecting taxpayer dollars by preventing fraud and abuse is a critical priority for the Department of Justice,” said Boynton. “The large number of settlements and judgments this past year demonstrates that the False Claims Act remains one of the most important tools for ensuring that public funds are spent properly and advance the public interest.”
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