Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Angie Bergman responded to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) dismissal of False Claims Act (FCA) charges against UnitedHealth Group after a ruling by the District Court for the Central District of California. The charges against UnitedHealth alleged that the company inflated Medicare Advantage risk-adjusted payments and ignored certain information in patient charts to avoid repaying the government for reimbursement funds it was not owed. According to Angie, “The government’s decision to drop the suit, despite being granted leave to amend, highlights the significant obstacles that will need to be overcome in pursuing [False Claims Act] cases involving managed care plans. While the U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicated that it will turn its sights to a similar case in the same district, it must still address the substantial deficiencies noted in the dismissal.”
The full article, “Calif. Ruling, DOJ Dismissal Are Tentative Wins for UnitedHealth in False Claims Fight,” was published by AIS Health on November 7, 2017.