The Department of Justice released its Fiscal Year 2020 review, in which it announced it obtained more than $2.2 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2020.
The DOJ highlighted its settlement with Oklahoma Center for Orthopaedic and Multi-Specialty Surgery, a specialty hospital in Oklahoma City, its part-owner and management company, an orthopedic physician group, and two physicians. Nix Patterson Partner Michael Angelovich represented the Relator in this litigation. The Defendants agreed to pay a total of over $72 million to the United States and the State of Oklahoma to resolve allegations that the hospital provided improper remuneration to the physician group in exchange for patient referrals. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Allison v. Southwest orthopaedic Specialists, PLLC, et al., No. CIV-16-569 (W.D. Okla.).
The DOJ reported its recoveries since 1986, when Congress substantially strengthened the civil False Claims Act, now total more than $64billion.
