Healthcare Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer in New York

The health insurance claims process is flooded with fraud. From overbilling for services not performed to falsifying diagnosis codes, the government recovers over $1 billion in fraudulently obtained Medicare and Medicaid payouts each year. Most healthcare fraud claims in New York involve a system of fraudulent billing practices employed by medical centers that can only be exposed by insiders.

If you have inside knowledge about healthcare insurance fraud, you need the assistance of our New York whistleblower claims attorney, Peter Katz. Confidentially discuss your right to demand financial compensation and available whistleblower protections with him today by calling (609) 849-3179 or connecting with his healthcare fraud team online.

Federal Healthcare Fraud and False Claims Laws

Healthcare fraud is both a criminal offense and a civil claim in New York. Federal prosecutors may bring criminal healthcare fraud charges against individual practitioners under 18 U.S.C. § 1347. These felony charges carry heavy penalties, including jail time, fines, and restitution. Civil healthcare fraud claims are actions filed against both individuals and healthcare entities to recover unlawfully obtained insurance payouts, generally due to false billing practices.

Unlike criminal charges, insiders – also called healthcare fraud whistleblowers – may initiate a civil claim on behalf of the United States. This is called a ‘qui tam’ lawsuit, and it can be filed under either the New York False Claims Act (NYFCA) or the Federal False Claims Act (FCA). Although both NYS and federal officials permit whistleblowers to file anonymous claims or work with law enforcement to expose fraud, do not contact the government about suspected unlawful billing practices without first speaking with attorney Peter Katz.

Protecting NY Healthcare Whistleblowers from Employer Retaliation

Most healthcare employees fear exposing fraud due to potential employer retaliation. For this reason, both New York and federal whistleblower laws prohibit employers from taking the following retaliatory actions against good-faith whistleblowers:

• Creating hostile work environments
• Termination
• Demotion
• Harassment
• Negative reviews
• Reducing pay or hours

If you reasonably believe your employer is committing healthcare fraud and expose the same, you may be entitled to these protections and potential compensation for employer retaliation.

Financial Incentives for Healthcare Fraud Whistleblowers in New York

The False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733, allows private citizens to work with dedicated whistleblower protection attorneys to file qui tam lawsuits for alleged healthcare fraud. In exchange for pursuing these actions on the government’s behalf, healthcare fraud whistleblowers – referred to as ‘relators’ – are entitled to a portion of the overall financial recovery.

The court may award the first official whistleblower (or joint team of whistleblowing employees) between 15% and 25% of the recovery if the federal government agrees to take over the case. This increases to 25-30% of the recovery if the government believes your attorney will successfully handle the matter. Additionally, the FCA permits successful relators to recover all reasonable attorneys’ fees and court costs.

Talk to Our Healthcare Fraud Whistleblower Claims Attorney

Blowing the whistle on federal or state healthcare fraud could result in significant financial payouts while protecting you from being implicated in an unlawful scheme. Discuss your options for confidentially exposing NY healthcare fraud with dedicated whistleblower claims lawyer Peter Katz today. Call (609) 849-3179 or connect with him online to protect yourself and others from illegal medical billing practices.