Fighting Medicare Fraud under the False Claims Act

The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team initiative focuses efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation between the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Press Release, Dept. of Justice, Hospice Care of Kansas and Texas-based Parent Company to Pay $6.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims (June 21, 2012). One of the most influential tools in this fight is the False Claims Act (FCA), which allows private individuals with knowledge of past or present fraud on the federal government to bring an action on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery.