Learn How to Get a Whistleblower Reward for Reporting Medicare Fraud by Pharmaceutical Drug Companies
Pharma companies have been cheating Medicare and Medicaid out of billions of dollars. This article outlines how to report pharmaceutical fraud and receive a significant whistleblower reward.
There are four main type of pharmaceutical Medicare fraud, and the government is paying significant whistleblower rewards if you report one of these frauds committed by a pharma drug company.
Pharmaceutical Medicare and Medicaid Fraud: Off Label Drug Promotion
The first pharma fraud scheme consists of off label drug promotion. Basically a pharmaceutical drug company defrauds the government when it receives FDA approval to sell a drug to treat one type of disease or illness but later promotes other unapproved uses to doctors.
DOJ has paid multi-million dollar whistleblower rewards for reporting off label drug promotion by pharma companies, even if based on even a single drug that’s being improperly promoted for off label uses.
For more information on how to investigate or report off label drug promotion fraud by pharmaceutical companies, read our article entitled: Off Label Drug Promotion by Pharmaceutical Companies: How to receive a Reward for Reporting Off Label Fraud
Medicare Pharmaceutical Fraud: Kickbacks
The second pharmaceutical fraud scheme consists of illegal kickbacks paid by pharma companies to doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes and other healthcare providers. Pharmaceutical fraud in the form of kickbacks is more common than you think.
It’s illegal for a pharmaceutical drug company to give anything of value as an inducement to buy their drugs. Of course, free samples and minor gifts, such as an inexpensive pen with a logo on it, are not inducements or considered pharmaceutical fraud. However, pharmaceutical drug companies routinely cross the line. Pharmaceutical companies also go to extreme measures to try to hide their illegal kickbacks and fraud. For instance, pharmaceutical companies offer to pay doctors to do consulting or do some training.
If you work for a pharmaceutical company and attended meetings where the fraud schemes were discussed or have other inside information on how the pharmaceutical fraud scheme is taking place, you may be eligible for a significant whistleblower reward.
Pharmaceutical Fraud: Medicaid Rebate Fraud
The third pharmaceutical fraud scheme consists of Medicaid Rebate Statute fraud. In essence, a pharma drug company is required to charge Medicaid the lowest or best price for drugs as the pharmaceutical company charges its best customer. Each quarter a pharmaceutical company must pay Medicaid a rebate of the difference between what Medicaid paid for the drugs and the best price of the drug sold by the pharmaceutical company. The fraud occurs when the pharmaceutical drug company lies about its best price.
If you work for a pharmaceutical company and know it is defrauding the government through Medicaid Rebate fraud, you should know that the government has paid tens-of-millions in rewards to citizens who reported this type of pharmaceutical fraud for even a single drug.
For more information on how to investigate or report Medicaid Rebate fraud by pharmaceutical companies, read our article entitled: Medicaid Rebate Statute Fraud:
How to receive a Reward for Reporting Medicaid Rebate Statute Fraud
Pharmaceutical Fraud: Adulterated Drugs
The fourth largest pharmaceutical fraud scheme consists of adulterated drugs. This is an emerging area of Medicare pharma fraud and the government is asking whistleblowers to step forward and report this form of Medicare pharma fraud.
When the FDA approves a drug for sale in the U.S., it also approves the pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing and quality control processes, tests and procedures. A pharma company defrauds the government when it materially deviates from the manufacturing procedures of controls. Of course, a reward is paid only if this type of Medicare pharmaceutical fraud would have the potential to affect the quality of the drug. The FDA is not asking you to point out small errors, but only those that are significant and call into question the safety or performance of the drug.
Report Medicare Pharmaceutical Fraud
If you have specific evidence that a pharma company is defrauding the government, you may be eligible for a significant whistleblower reward for reporting pharmaceutical fraud.
Contact Mr. Hesch to have him assess your allegations of pharmaceutical fraud to see if he can help you report pharmaceutical fraud and receive a whistleblower reward.
See the link at the bottom of the page below “Do I have a case” to have Mr. Hesch review your potential whistleblower reward case for reporting Medicare pharmaceutical fraud.
See the link at the bottom of the page below “Report Fraud” to learn more about the government’s whistleblower reward programs.
Click on this link to read this article in pdf format: How to Report Pharmaceutical Fraud and Receive a Whistleblower Reward PDF version