Articles and Blogs

Department of Justice

New DOJ Pilot Program: Enhanced Whistleblower Rewards and Expanded False Claims Act Liability

[08/16/24]

Posted on August 16, 2024 in Health Law News, Litigation Analysis

Published by: Hall Render

Beginning on August 1, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) launched a three-year Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program (the “Program”). This initiative expands the opportunity for health care whistleblowers, adding private health insurance claims to their quiver. It does so by allowing whistleblowers to report corporate misconduct to the DOJ’s Criminal Division through their... READ MORE

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Department of Justice Criminal Division Announces New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Pilot Program for Individuals

[04/29/24]

Posted on April 29, 2024 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

On April 15, 2024, the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a new pilot program to incentivize individuals to come forward with voluntary disclosures (the “Program”). Under this Program, individuals with criminal exposure who come forward and report misconduct that was otherwise unknown to the DOJ may be eligible to receive... READ MORE

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DOJ Announces $2.68 Billion in False Claims Act Recoveries

[02/23/24]

Posted on February 23, 2024 in False Claims Act Defense, Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

On February 22, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that it recovered over $2.68 billion in False Claims Act (“FCA”) settlements and judgments during the 2023 federal fiscal year. Notably, this amount stems from the highest number of settlements and judgments in a single year, including 543 settlements and judgments during this last... READ MORE

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FTC Announces Annual Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification Filing Thresholds Increase for 2024

[02/08/24]

Posted on February 8, 2024 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“HSR Act”), as amended, requires all persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions that meet or exceed the jurisdictional thresholds (shown below) to file a premerger notification (an “HSR Filing”) with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Premerger Notification Office and Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Antitrust Division and to... READ MORE

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FTC and DOJ Release Finalized Merger Guidelines

[12/27/23]

Posted on December 27, 2023 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

On December 18, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (together, the “Agencies”) released their finalized Merger Guidelines (the “Final Guidelines”). The Final Guidelines contain updates to the draft merger guidelines (the “Proposed Guidelines”) that the Agencies released in July 2023. The Final Guidelines are a significant... READ MORE

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FTC Announces Proposed Rule Updating the Hart-Scott-Rodino Form and Instructions

[06/29/23]

Posted on June 29, 2023 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

On June 27, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), in concurrence with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), announced plans to publish a 133-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Notice”) to amend and overhaul the Hart-Scott-Rodino Form and Instructions. The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, requires all persons contemplating... READ MORE

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DOJ Continues Criminal Labor Antitrust Enforcement Despite Recent Prosecution Setbacks

[04/03/23]

Posted on April 3, 2023 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

With yet another criminal wage-fixing indictment filed this week, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) signaled its continued commitment to prosecuting anticompetitive conduct affecting the U.S. labor markets, including within the health care industry. On March 16, a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charges a health care staffing executive... READ MORE

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DOJ Recouped $5.6 Billion Under FCA in 2021

[02/04/22]

Posted on February 4, 2022 in False Claims Act Defense, Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

Earlier this week, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that the United States recovered over $5.6 billion from False Claims Act (“FCA”) cases in the federal fiscal year 2021, “the second largest annual total in False Claims Act history” and more than doubling the FCA recoveries for the DOJ from fiscal year 2020. Of... READ MORE

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DOJ Recouped $2.2B Under FCA in 2020, Plus $3.6B in Still-Pending Settlements

[01/15/21]

Posted on January 15, 2021 in False Claims Act Defense

Published by: Hall Render

The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently announced that the United States recovered over $2.2 billion from False Claims Act (“FCA”) cases in the federal fiscal year 2020. While this is a decrease from the previous year’s recoveries, and likely related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the most recent figures are still on par with DOJ... READ MORE

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Antitrust in Health Care M&A: Five Key Considerations to Guide Competitive Behavior

[07/28/20]

Posted on July 28, 2020 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

Mergers and acquisitions in the health care industry present unique challenges that are not often present when undertaking similar transactions in other industries. Because of health care’s highly regulated nature, parties may falter if a health care transaction is not reviewed and negotiated carefully with respect to the distinct concerns that health care presents. ... READ MORE

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