Health Law Advisor

During a November 29, 2018 speech, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced changes to Department of Justice (“DOJ”) policy concerning individual accountability in corporate cases.  The announcement followed the DOJ’s year-long review of its individual accountability policies and the September 2015 memorandum issued by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, commonly known as the “Yates Memo.”

While making clear that pursuing individuals responsible for corporate wrongdoing remains a top priority in every investigation conducted by DOJ, Mr ...

On December 21, the Department of Justice ("DOJ") reported its fraud recoveries for Fiscal Year 2017. While overall numbers were significant - $3.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving allegations of fraud and false claims against the government - this was an approximate $1 billion drop from FY 2016. However, the statistics released by DOJ reflect themes significant to the healthcare industry.

Greatest Recoveries Come From The Healthcare Industry

As in years past, matters involving allegations of healthcare fraud were the driver, accounting for more ...

On November 24, 2015, in United States ex rel. Purcell v. MWI Corp., No. 14-5210, slip op. (D.C. Cir. Nov. 24, 2015), the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal False Claims Act ("FCA") liability cannot attach to a defendant's objectively reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous regulatory provision. While outside of the health care arena, this decision has implications for all industries exposed to liability under the FCA.

In Purcell, the government alleged that false claims had been submitted as a result of certifications made by defendant MWI ...