Health and Safety Code 1278.5

2017 Starts Off with Multi-Million Dollar False Claims Fraudulent Billing Claim & DOJ’s 2016 Year End Report Review

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Category: Health Care Employee Rights, Retaliation, Whistleblower Protection
For 40 years, our attorneys have been helping California employees who have been wronged or witnessed wrongdoing against their coworkers or the government.  We ensure that every measure is taken to protect our clients so that they may continue to safeguard our rights and call-out companies with the knowledge that they...

As 2016 Draws to a Close, Retaliation Claims by Whistleblowers Rise Against Such Institutions as the Veterans Affairs and Wells Fargo

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Category: Health Care Employee Rights, Retaliation, Whistleblower Protection
Our Los Angeles based employment attorneys report that there has been an uptick in the number of retaliation claims by whistleblowers.  One instance is an abuse claim made against the Veterans Affairs Hospital System by an employee at the hospital.  The employee blew the whistle exposing in part that the hospital kep...

$5.3 Million Dollar Settlement after False Claims Act Whistleblower in Oncology Practice Reports Medicare Fraud

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Category: Health Care Employee Rights, Whistleblower Protection
Anyone could, and should, report fraudulent activity by his or her employer. In this case, it was a medical coder at an oncology practice. As result, the oncology medical group will settle with the government for $5.3 million dollars to bring to close allegations that it systematically falsely billed Medicare and Medic...

Healthcare Whistleblower Litigation Case against Physician Medical Group Settles for $124,000

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Category: Uncategorized
The case involves a whistleblower who received $124,000 for reporting health care fraud by three physicians and a health care facility under the False Claims Act (“FCA”). The amount received by the whistleblower was approximately 20% of the total settlement paid to the federal government which amounted to $700,000....

Supreme Court Decision is a Major Victory for Whistleblowers

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Category: Employee Rights, Whistleblower Protection
This week, the highest court in the land sided with whistleblowers and ruled that breaches to the confidentiality (or seal) of a case brought under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) would not result in a dismissal of the case.  Cases brought under the FCA are initially filed under seal for 60 days.  During this time, ...

Weekly Whistleblower Update: Another Health Care Company Settles for $35 Million to Settle FCA Lawsuit

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Category: Employee Rights, Health Care Employee Rights, Retaliation, Whistleblower Protection
21st Oncology Inc., a national health care company managing 145 cancer clinics in 16 states, entered into an agreement this week to pay $35 million dollars to settle a False Claims Act (FCA) case.  The FCA violations centered on alleged fraudulent billing of Medicare for radiation treatments.  This type of illegible ...

California’s New Equal Pay Act and Protections Against Retaliation

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Category: Employee Rights, Retaliation, Workplace Discrimination
Last week, California’s legislature cleared the way for a new bill that will ensure there’s equal compensation for women in the workplace.  Accordingly, Governor Jerry Brown has indicated he promptly sign the bill into law.  The new bill specifically prohibits employers from paying different wages to employees ba...

Healthcare Workers protection for whistle blowers

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Category: Whistleblower Protection
There are many whistle blower laws in California (see Labor Code 1102.5, the grandfather of them all), but a specific one for all California health care workers (including doctors) to know about is Health and Safety Code Section 1278.5. This protects anyone who reports issues with patient stafety. It prohbits any healt...