Have you or someone you know reported fraudulent actions occurring at your work?

Tennessee workers and workers all across the country witness practices and policies happen at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. When situations like this occur, many workers feel that if they report it then they will be harassed or terminated. However, these people who report these actions, also known as whistleblowers, are protected by the law and can recover compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Tennessee whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your case. They will hear your case and help you get the compensation you deserve.

What exactly do whistleblowers do and what does Qui Tam Mean?

In Tennessee and all across the country, whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In Tennessee, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

What are some of the most frequent whistleblower cases reported?

Fraudulent actions can come in many different types. These may include but are limited to:

• Billing someone twice or not billing them at all
• False contracts
• Misuse of government funding for educational purposes
• Misuse of government funding for medical purposes

The most frequent types of cases reported are those that occur in the medical and insurance fields and have to with Medicare, Medicaid, or specific Tennessee health care programs. These fraudulent actions might include but are not limited to:

• Sending a bill to Medicare or Medicaid for resources that were never utilized
• Billing for people or workers who never used the services
• Not requiring people to pay their portion of a bill
• Dividing resources into parts to make them cost more
• Any other misuse of medical resources or money provided by the government

These fraudulent actions unfortunately occur everywhere in the medical field and affect young children, elderly patients, and terminally ill patients alike. They can affect people's treatments, payments, and even their overall care.

How do I know if I am eligible to file a false claim?

In order to receive compensation for filing a false claim, the person filing the claim with their lawyer, or the whistleblower, is required to meet specific criteria. These criteria include the following:

• Person is required to work with or have a personal involvement with accused person or people
• Person must report their claim before another person does
• Person should not have been involved in the fraudulent actions leading to the claim

How can a whistleblower attorney help with my case?

In these cases, the person filing the claim will remain unknown to the person or company accused of the fraudulent action. This is to prevent that worker from being harassed or terminated from their position because of the claim. However, once that person is known to the person or company accused of the action, if harassment or termination occurs during or after the case is a direct result of the claim, the whistleblower will be eligible for compensation and the recovery of their position at work. A whistleblower may only be eligible for these security measures if they contact an experienced and caring Tennessee whistleblower attorney to help them with their case, like the ones at the Higgins Firm. So, if you or someone you care about has witnessed fraudulent action against the government and would like to speak up about it, we encourage you to speak with one of our whistleblower attorneys. We will hear your case and make sure you get the compensation and treatment that you are entitled to.

Feel free to contact us online or call 855-529-3675 to discuss your legal options.