What are Common Types of Fraud that Violate the False Claims Act?
Health Care Fraud – Medicare and Medicaid Since the federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year on Medicare and Medicaid, it is not surprising that health care fraud has cost the federal government billions of dollars. The following are examples of fraudulent activities involving the health care industries: • Billing for services not rendered • Billing for procedures not ordered • Billing for procedures that are not medically necessary • Up-coding and/or unbundling • Kickbacks between health care providers • Inflation of cost reports by health care institutions • Federal grant fraud Defense Contractor Fraud Qui tam lawsuits have been very successful against defense contractors. The following are examples of typical ways defense contractors cheat the government: • Shifting costs from a fixed-cost contract to a cost-plus contract • Substituting in inferior or non-American products • Shifting an unfair portion of indirect costs to the government • Failing to comply wi
