Medicaid fraud is at the heart of a whistleblower suit alleging that a hospital system in Florida defrauded the federal government through the Medicaid program. The whistleblower suit filed by Sean Hellein, a former financial analyst for WellCare Health Plans, alleges that Memorial Healthcarel System in south Florida helped WellCare make it appear that it was spending more than it actually was on patient care in three areas: mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment and a state-subsidized program for otherwise uninsured children. The suit alleges the fraud at between $400 to $600 million.
Source: Miami Herald
This whistleblower suit was brought under the federal False Claims Act. The False Claims Act allows whistleblowers to file suit on behalf of the federal government against contractors and corporations that have cheated or defrauded the federal government. This case alleges basic and common fraud: false inflation of bills submitted to and paid by the federal government.
Under the False Claims Act a whistleblower can keep 15-25% of the money recovered from the company.
Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud and healthcare fraud in general are widespread, siphoning millions and millions of dollars each year from our taxpayers and interfering with the proper care of patients and those most in need. If you are aware of Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud or healthcare fraud inflicted on the federal government by a corporation, contact Lexington, Kentucky whistleblower lawyer Robert Abell at 859-254-7076.
