Whistleblowing Works - Support the Washington Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act

On December 19, 2011, the United States Department of Justice issued a Press Release that shows how False Claims Act whistleblowers work to recover biillons of dollars for U.S. taxpayers.  The Press release announced "that the Department of Justice recovered "$3 billion in settlements and judgments in civil cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011."

The Press Release added:

This is the second year in a row that the department has surpassed $3 billion in recoveries under the False Claims Act, bringing the total since January 2009 to $8.7 billion – the largest three-year total in the Justice Department’s history.

The $3 billion total for fiscal year 2011 includes a record $2.8 billion in recoveries under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which is the government’s primary civil remedy to redress false claims for federal money or property, such as Medicare benefits, payments on military contracts, and federal subsidies and loans.  (Bold emphasis added).

I repeat:  "The $3 billion total for fiscal year 2011 includes a record $2.8 billion in recoveries under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act."

$2.8 billion of the $3 billion recovered equals 94% of the total recovered.  Without whistleblowers, this would not have happend.

If anyone asks for  evidence to support expanding the False Claims Act in all 50 states, here it is.

There is no stronger legislative tool that can motivate and protect persons with inside information of fraud against the government to come forward and help fight the fraud than a False Claims Act with a qui tam or citizen suit provision.   These cases are almost always a  David vs. Goliath battle against a large and well funded corporation, and a False Claims Act with a qui tam provision helps to level the battle ground.

This is why I support the Washington Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act, and hope the legislature will expand SB 5978 to protect  other areas of Washington state procurement from fraud against the state of Washington.