On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the creation of a False Claims Act Working Group, which will work with the HHS Office of Inspector General and Department of Justice to combat fraud and abuse in the healthcare sector. “This working group strengthens our partnership with DOJ and OIG on using the False Claims Act to pursue bad actors and protect taxpayer funds,” remarked HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “Ensuring that resources are focused on bad actors will deter would-be fraudsters and avoid burdening those working in good faith to comply with the law.”
The HHS Office of the General Counsel created the False Claims Act Working Group to strengthen the department’s working relationship with DOJ. The group is comprised of former DOJ False Claims Act and healthcare fraud prosecutors, former private counsel for healthcare and life sciences companies, and HHS attorneys with extensive experience with HHS’ most vulnerable payment programs. The group will identify potential FCA violations for referral to DOJ and OIG, and will support those investigations by providing HHS’ views on the intricate legal frameworks of the agency’s funding programs.
The Working Group also will provide enhanced and targeted training to the HHS programs that are most vulnerable to fraud and abuse, improving the ability of those offices to detect potential fraud.