In the few years since COVID-19 first reached the United States, the rate of telehealth appointments has soared to help bridge the gap between stay-at-home measures and the need for healthcare. While telemedicine has been enormously helpful for many, some bad actors have also used it as an opportunity to take advantage of situation to overcharge, defraud, and otherwise scam and skim off more than their fair share of public funds.
Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-funded insurance pools are protected by the False Claims Act and other state and federal qui tam laws. Anyone who knowingly makes a false claim against the government is subject to up to treble penalties, as well as individual financial damages for each instance of fraud.
Whether you work in healthcare, have knowledge about telehealth billing practices, have been a telehealth patient, or simply have information about healthcare providers attempting to defraud public funds, you may be eligible to become a whistleblower. Whistleblowers can receive significant financial rewards and are protected against workplace retaliation.
The rise in telemedicine is predicted to continue, with the industry expected to reach $113 billion in value by 2025. With this enormous increase in the number of service providers, combined with relaxed regulations has, unfortunately, come fraud, waste, misuse, and graft. Unscrupulous providers have been discovered charging patients and insurers for so-called “...
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