Recently, the federal government formerly joined in a whistleblower lawsuit filed against the owners of one Mississippi hospital. The lawsuit alleges that hospital owners unjustly billed over $12 million from Medicare.  The lawsuit was filed by a former administrator at Stone County Hospital in 2007.  The unsealed complaint alleges that the owners of the hospital paid themselves large salaries that were partially reimbursed by Medicare, the federal health care program for the elderly.  Whistleblower James Aldridge stated in the complaint that he rarely witnessed the owners performing management duties, despite the fact that the salaries were included in the cost of running the hospital.

The whistleblower attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC will follow closely as this lawsuit unfolds. We have assisted whistleblowers in a number of cases against hospitals for wrongful billing and other fraudulent activities.  We fight for our whistleblower clients to receive that portion of funds recovered that they deserve.  The following is a look at fraudulent healthcare billing and what whistleblowers can do if they uncover this practice.

Healthcare Billing Fraud

Healthcare fraud caused by fraudulent billing is a tremendous problem for government healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. For years, Medicare, Medicaid, and like programs have paid untold sums to deceitful healthcare providers.  Unscrupulous healthcare providers have created ways to fraudulently bill healthcare programs for their own gain, while defrauding the government at the same time.

Preventing and uncovering healthcare fraud is a central focus of the federal government due to the large impact of healthcare fraud on our overall economy. Whistleblowers are one of the primary avenues by which we combat healthcare fraud.  Today, qui tam lawsuits are the number one means of routing out billing fraud.

There are several different ways that fraudulent billing can occur. Some common schemes include:

• Duplicate billing
• Billing for services not provided and goods never delivered
• Split billing or billing for procedures performed in one day over several days
• Upcoding services actually rendered
• Submitting false information or certifications, such as billing for falsified lab reports or certifying contacts as fulfilled when they are not
• Submitting bills to Medicare that should have been paid by other insurers
• Billing for unlicensed or unapproved drugs
• Billing for brand names drugs while instead providing generic drugs
• Billing for top notch equipment, but using inferior equipment
• Inflating billing by using diagnosis codes that suggest more expensive illnesses or treatment
• Billing at doctor’s rates for work performed by an intern or nurse

Whistleblower lawsuits have assisted the federal government in reclaiming billions of dollars from fraudulent healthcare providers. Whistleblowers perform a vital function for the federal government and our entire country.  If you have uncovered fraudulent billing occurring in your workplace or a workplace you have contact with, contact a qui tam attorney as soon as possible for assistance with your whistleblower action.

Barrett Law, PLLC: Assisting Brave Whistleblowers Across Mississippi

We need whistleblowers to uncover fraud and wrongdoing occurring in the workplace, but whistleblowers face many challenges in bringing to light the illegal conduct they have discovered. If you are preparing to blow the whistle or have experienced retaliation due to a whistleblowing complaint, contact the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC.  Our outstanding Mississippi law firm will provide the experienced representation you need to obtain the best possible outcome for your case.  Your whistleblower action is time sensitive so contact our office as soon as possible.  Call Barrett Law, PLLC today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free initial consultation.

Whistleblowers today benefit from increased federal and state protections as well as an overall improved mindset concerning whistleblowing.  While some uninformed individuals still see whistleblowers as opportunistic, more often society recognizes the importance of whistleblowers and encourages them to come forward.  As whistleblowing has become more revered, the reward offered to whistleblowers has increased.  The False Claims Act awards whistleblowers with up to 30 percent of all proceeds recovered for the government, which can equate to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even multiple millions for the whistleblower. Despite these strong legal incentives and protections, it is important that whistleblowers have a realistic understanding of the path their case may take.  The following is a list of some advice for would be whistleblowers:

1. You are not guaranteed a large payday: While some whistleblower cases have resulted in seven or even eight figure recoveries, these cases are the exception and not the rule.  The federal government does not intervene in every whistleblower case and there is no guarantee that you will receive a large recovery.  Your whistleblower attorney can assess the strength of your potential action to provide you with a better prediction as to your odds of success.
2. Your career could be affected:  Being a whistleblower is not easy.  While whistleblower laws have come a long way and offer extensive protection against retaliation, employees who blow the whistle still often experience retaliatory action in the form of estrangement or even blacklisting. Ask yourself whether you have the strength to put your career on the line to bring to light information you feel is important.
3. Be in it for the long haul:  The whistleblower process can take a long time, in many cases, several years or longer.  Throughout this ordeal, the government may leave you in the dark as to where it is in investigations and acceptance of the matter.  If your case makes it to court, the process will continue to move slowly given the procedural requirements of any complex litigation.  Be prepared for your whistleblower case to go on for quite some time and occupy a major part of your life.
4. You will need a lawyer:  You will without a doubt need a lawyer.  Whistleblower laws are complex and wrought with confusing requirements and restrictions.  If you do not submit all of the required information or submit it incorrectly, you could be disqualified from acting as a whistleblower entirely.  Consult with a whistleblower attorney early on to start the process off the right way.  Your attorney will represent your interests throughout the entire process

None of these points are intended to discourage a would-be whistleblower.  Rather, you should enter the whistleblower process with a realistic idea in mind of what will occur and how you can best protect yourself and your interests.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Experienced Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys

We need brave individuals to step forward as whistleblowers and report misconduct or fraud on the part of employers. If you have experienced retaliatory actions as a result of your whistleblowing activity or need assistance with a qui tam action, contact the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC.  Our prominent Mississippi law firm has assisted brave whistleblowers for over 75 years.  Whistleblower cases are complex and will require the help of experienced counsel in order to successfully bring your action.  At Barrett Law PLLC, we will provide you with the information you need to walk through the whistleblower claim process and the legal assistance you will need as the case moves forward.  Call us today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free initial consultation.

Whistleblower lawsuits come in all varieties, and from all levels of employment within the organizations that they are brought against. The collection of cases below illustrates a few of the ways that whistleblower claims can arise within a public school system setting.

The Albuquerque Public Schools Chief Financial Officer (CFO) was suspended from his duties and as such, has filed a whistleblower protection lawsuit alleging retaliation. The now former CFO reported a former Deputy Superintendent to superiors, alleging that the Deputy Superintendent was mishandling a potential contract related to school district computer systems. He also alleges that he had been passed over for a deputy superintendent position that had been offered to him in the past because of his political views. The Albuquerque Public Schools asserts that the former CFO’s claims are without merit.

The largest food vendor in the Washington, D.C. public school system has settled a lawsuit that alleged that the company overcharged the city for its services and mismanaged the school meals programs. The settlement agreement is the result of a whistleblower lawsuit that was brought by a former director of food services for Washington, D.C. Public Schools against Chartwells and Thompson Hospitality.

In Grand Rapids, a former special education contractor at a charter school who reported special education program and hiring violations was terminated after she reported the violations. She has reached a settlement in the federal lawsuit that she brought against the school which alleged retaliation. In another whistleblower lawsuit related to special education, a former occupational therapist at Portland Oregon Public Schools has filed a whistleblower lawsuit. The woman has alleged that the school district was acting in retaliation when it essentially forced her to resign after she called attention to disturbing work practices involving students with disabilities. For example, she claimed that she had so many responsibilities associated with her job that she could not provide the amount of attention to her disabled students that she was required by law to provide. She was also denied workplace accommodations that would assist her with her own disability, a herniated disk.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Supporting Mississippi Whistleblowers

If you have lost your job as the result of retaliatory actions that were taken against you by your employer after you notified them of wrongdoing that was occurring in your workplace, you may feel devastated and betrayed. Some organizations wish to ignore inappropriate conduct, but it is patently unfair for these organizations to expect that their employees will just sit back and ignore things that they see that are not right. If you believe that you have a whistleblower claim that is based on retaliatory action or wrongful termination, the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC may be able to help you.  Our attorneys can give you the information that you need to understand the whistleblower claims process and the legal support that you will require as your whistleblower case moves forward. To learn more about how we can help you, please call our office today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free, initial consultation.

Sometimes, a whistleblower lawsuit, or any lawsuit for that matter, does not truly end when the jury issues its verdict. For example, the verdict in a federal whistleblower lawsuit decided by a jury in favor of corporate giant DuPont has been set aside after evidence recently surfaced indicating that the company had committed misconduct by withholding critical information during their trial.  The information came to the attention of attorneys and the court when it was released during a separate lawsuit brought against DuPont by another former employee.

The information that had been withheld during the federal whistleblower lawsuit described workplace safety violations and long-term chemical releases at the Burnside sulfuric acid plant. An employee filed the federal whistleblower lawsuit in an attempt to put an end to these serious issues.  The withheld information was contained in a spreadsheet that should have been provided to the whistleblower’s attorneys by DuPont during the discovery phase of the whistleblower lawsuit.  Additionally, DuPont did not disclose to the court or to the whistleblower’s attorneys that a citation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been issued in November of 2014 due to ongoing chemical leaks and workplace safety hazards at the plant.

The setting aside of the verdict is probably not the end of the line for this federal whistleblower case. DuPont officials are likely to appeal the setting aside of the verdict because they feel that the information in question would not have affected the outcome of the federal whistleblower trial. Because the information is related to the pollution and workplace safety issues that form the basis for the federal whistleblower case, it is possible that such an appeal by DuPont may not be successful. Whatever the eventual outcome of this case and the other case against DuPont which caused the previously withheld information to be brought to light, this incident has brought renewed attention to DuPont and its problems with pollution and workplace safety.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Advocating for Whistleblowers throughout Mississippi

Whistleblower lawsuits can be lengthy and complicated. However, many whistleblowers feel as though any difficulties that they encountered during the course of their case were minor, compared to the feeling of having done what they felt was the right thing to do, regardless of what the outcome of their case was. If you are interested in filing a whistleblower claim, the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC may be able to help you. Our attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients navigate the complexities of whistleblower lawsuits by providing them with comprehensive support every step of the way.  To learn more about how we can help you, please call the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today, at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free, initial consultation.

Some whistleblower cases arise from conduct that is witnessed by members of the armed forces. In a recent whistleblower lawsuit, a former deckhand claims that he was terminated after he reported illegal conduct that he alleged he witnessed while working on board the motor vessel “Mississippi.”  The whistleblower had not been cited for any previous incidences of misconduct during his lengthy career with the armed forces. Additionally, he was terminated while on military duty, so the circumstances surrounding his termination certainly seem suspicious.

The deckhand, an Iraq war veteran with nearly twenty years of prior military service, started working on the Mississippi as a seasonal employee in December of 2013. The vessel is used for a variety of purposes, including holding meetings in its large hearing room, serving as an inspection boat for the Mississippi River Commission, and moving barges and equipment for military exercises. Individuals who are not directly involved with the military, such as politicians, are often on board the Mississippi as guests and meeting attendees.

Some of the illegal conduct that the whistleblower claims that he witnessed was alcohol consumption by superiors and crew members. Consumption and possession of alcohol on government vessels is prohibited by regulations issued by both the United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association. The ship’s captain claimed that he received a letter from Washington, D.C. which gave permission for people on the ship to consume alcohol, but neither the whistleblower nor anyone else ever actually saw that letter. The whistleblower allegedly witnessed other illegal conduct too, in the form of racist behavior which included white officers treating black employees as if they were their slaves. He was personally involved in one such incident, when he refused to carry luggage for a senior officer’s wife because it was outside the scope of his duties as a maintenance officer and because the request that he carry the luggage was made in a rude and rather demeaning manner.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Standing up for Mississippi Whistleblowers

It can be very difficult to come forward and expose improper conduct on the part of a corporation or an organization, and even more so when you put your job at risk.  If you believe that you have a valid whistleblower claim, the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC may be able to help you.  Our attorneys can provide you with the information you need to understand the whistleblower claims process and the legal assistance that you will require as your whistleblower case moves forward. To learn more about how we can help you, please call our office today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free, initial consultation.