Representing Whistleblowers In Medicare Fraud Lawsuits
Medicare is a federal health care program that is intended to make medical care and prescription drugs more affordable for long-term Social Security Disability recipients and individuals who are age 65 and older. While Medicare is a vital program upon which millions of Americans depend for vital health care services and life-saving drugs, annually, the program suffers billions of dollars in losses due to acts of fraud.
The attorneys at Spragins, Barnett & Cobb, PLC, represent individuals who bravely come forward and blow the whistle on those individuals and institutions that commit Medicare fraud. Under the False Claims Act, a whistleblower can file what is known as a qui tam lawsuit and receive compensation when funds are recovered.
Examples of Medicare fraud cases include:
- Overbilling for services
- Billing for services that were not provided
- Manipulating billing codes
- Physician kickbacks and patient referrals
- Billing for unnecessary services
False Claims Act And Qui Tam Lawsuits
Ultimately, we all pay the costs associated with Medicare fraud and individuals who are enrolled in the program often suffer the most harm. In cases where you have knowledge of unnecessary medical procedures being performed on Medicare enrollees or discover that a hospital employer is submitting fraudulent Medicare claims, we will represent you and your best interests in a qui tam lawsuit.
Additionally, in cases where you suffer retaliation or are wrongfully terminated by an employer after coming forward, our attorneys will fight to restore and uphold your rights.
Attorney Teresa A. Luna applies her breadth of legal knowledge and experience to benefit whistleblowers in qui tam claims related to Medicare fraud.
New Financial Incentives For Medicare Whistleblowers
Federal regulations (the False Claims Act) have allowed whistleblowers to receive a portion of funds recovered. Concerned medical professionals may need the support of a Tennessee healthcare fraud attorney. Whistleblowers have protection from retaliation under state and federal laws. However, they often need support to make use of those protections.
A Medicare fraud attorney can help whistleblowers analyze and submit evidence they collect. They can also assist with direct legal action.
New federal policies announced in 2026 strengthen and expand compensation rights for healthcare fraud whistleblowers. Under a new fraud initiative overseen by the United States Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), whistleblowers can provide confidential tips regarding fraud, including Medicare fraud.
Whistleblowers with specific, credible nonpublic information about inappropriate medical billing practices and other forms of Medicare fraud can report their concerns to FinCEN. Actionable tips may make whistleblowers eligible for between 10% and 30% of the penalties imposed on organizations that have violated billing regulations.
FinCEN is specifically looking for tips regarding:
- Wasteful spending
- Fraudulent billing
- Abuse of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs
- Mismanagement of resources
Those intending to submit tips often benefit from discussing the matter with a health care whistleblower attorney first.
A lawyer’s review can help those reporting Medicare billing fraud and similar concerns ensure that their tips are thorough enough to qualify them for the compensation offered under this new program. They can also play a key role in documenting the whistleblower’s conduct and educating them about their rights.
Whistleblowers should not face job loss, demotions, pay cuts or unfavorable transfers because they report financial misconduct. The financial compensation for acting as a whistleblower can help offset any lost income or career setbacks that professionals face after reporting the financial misconduct of an employer.
Working with a Medicare whistleblower attorney from Charles H. Barnett can help professionals fight fraud without endangering their careers or financial stability. Legal guidance can reduce the risk that professionals must accept when acting as whistleblowers.
Contact Our Firm For Representation
If you work at a hospital, health care clinic or nursing home and believe that an employer has taken action to defraud the U.S. government, contact or call a lawyer at our Jackson law firm today at 731-300-1592.