From illegal opioid refills to Medicaid fraud allegations, here are seven important whistleblower lawsuits Becker's has reported on in 2023:
1. In 2013, a whistleblower suit was filed against Matteson, Ill.-based physician Ajibola Ayeni, MD, for allegedly violating the False Claims Act more than 4,000 times. In March, a chief U.S. district judge granted summary judgment to the government in the case.
2. In March, a whistleblower suit was brought against Rite Aid pharmacy for allegedly ignoring "obvious red flags" when filling opioid prescriptions.
3. In March, Houston-based psychiatrist Ashok Jain, MD, agreed to pay $3 million to settle claims that he billed Medicare for unnecessary transcranial magnetic stimulation services following a 2021 whistleblower claim.
4. In March, Brian Hyatt, MD, chair of the Arkansas State Medical Board, was suspended from participating in Arkansas' Medicaid program following a whistleblower suit alleging fraud.
5. In February, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, cardiothoracic surgeon James Luketich, MD, and a physicians group paid $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of submitting false claims. A whistleblower complaint was filed against the group in 2019.
6. In February, a whistleblower lawsuit was filed against Orlando-based physician group Florida Cardiology and 10 physicians, alleging inflated Medicare and Medicaid claims.
7. In January, a whistleblower claim was filed against Atlanta-based ophthalmologist Aarti Pandya, MD, and the Pandya Practice Group for allegedly violating the False Claims Act.