The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals will allow a whistleblower to proceed with her federal lawsuit against Acadia opioid treatment clinics in North Carolina. The Asheville clinic’s former assistant medical director accused the company of falsifying claims for federal government payments.
A trial judge dismissed Lisa Wheeler’s suit in 2023. A unanimous three-judge Appeals Court panel reversed that decision Monday.
“The False Claims Act is a powerful tool for recovering taxpayer dollars to the public fisc,” wrote Judge Nicole Berner. “It punishes companies that have committed fraud in government contracts and serves an important function in deterring other companies from doing the same.”
“In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, alone, the Department of Justice reported over $2.68 billion recovered through False Claims Act settlements and judgments,” the 4th Circuit opinion continued. “Fully two-thirds of that amount was collected from healthcare companies. Employees in the healthcare industry, including frontline workers who provide direct services to patients, are often in the best position to observe these fraudulent billing practices.”
Wheeler “was one such...
In This Article: WBA +0.78% Walgreens agreed to pay the United States $300M, plus interest at a rate of 4.00% per annum accruing from October 20, 2024, of which $150M shall constitute restitutio...