Mintz’s Health Care Qui Tam Update
Mintz’s Health Care Enforcement Defense Practice has published its most recent Qui Tam Update, highlighting two qui tam cases unsealed in November and December of 2014 and giving an overview of the other 17 cases unsealed during the same time period. Mintz’s analysis of the 19 total unsealed cases revealed that almost half included both state and federal claims and that nearly 70% of the relators in the cases were current or former employees of the defendants. The two featured cases are:
- United States ex rel. Fox Rx, Inc. v. Managed Health Care Associates, Inc., No. 2:14-cv-00073-JLR (W.D. Wash.), regarding allegations that Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. (“MHA”), a pharmacy services provider, submitted claims for Schedule II controlled substances that were dispensed without a proper prescription. The relator, Fox Rx, Inc., a Medicare Part D plan sponsor, had brought two previous cases against MHA, which were highlighted in Mintz’s October 2104 Health Care Qui Tam Update. Notably, the government has declined to intervene in all three cases.
- United States ex rel. Rew v. Mission Health of Georgia, LLC, 8:14-cv-00648-JSM-MAP (M.D. Fla.), regarding allegations that Mission Health’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities failed to obtain physician certification of patients’ need for skilled nursing care. The realtor in this case was formerly the Vice President of Clinical Reimbursement for one of Mission Health of Georgia.
Further information about both cases and the trends we’ve observed in recently unsealed cases are available in the full Qui Tam Update. In our Qui Tam Update series, we monitor recently unsealed FCA cases, identify trends in health care enforcement, and discuss noteworthy cases and developments. To receive the Qui Tam Update by email, subscribe here.