Naturally, no one in Wisconsin likes to be “ratted on,” but companies that engage in illegal activities can rightfully expect to be reported by a whistleblower who is willing to speak up about the wrongdoing. A recent whistleblower situation in another state revolves around a health company that allegedly was misdiagnosing patients on purpose. A former employee of the company filed a suit in this case, and the company recently agreed to settle the allegations by paying more than $2 million.
The woman alleged that two doctors at the company were telling patients they had neurological disorders when, in fact, they didn’t. The doctors then billed federal health programs for drugs and services that weren’t necessary, she claimed. The employee filed a false claims whistleblower suit.
She will get more than $400,000 of the total sum that the company will pay as part of the settlement. The company said that although it did place one of the doctors on leave in 2011, it didn’t report the improper diagnoses until a year later. The CEO of the company said it investigated the matter internally and did not realize a whistleblower suit had been filed.
When a company appears to be committing an illicit act, an employee has the right to file a suit on the government’s behalf. As part of the suit, the individual can receive a portion of the money the government recovers in a settlement resulting from the situation. Whistleblowers play important roles in keeping the public safe and preventing federal dollars from being spent inappropriately due to false claims. It may be necessary to gain assistance in fully understanding the relevant laws that apply to this type of whistleblower case in Wisconsin.
Source: Jacksonville Business Journal, “Baptist Health to pay $2.5 million settlement in false claims lawsuit“, Ashley Gurbal Kritzer, May 6, 2014
