Civil Division

Monogram Health Professional Services PC and Monogram Health Inc., headquartered in Tennessee, have agreed to pay $2.4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false diagnosis codes in order to increase payments that they received from the Medicare Advantage program. “When companies submit false diagnosis codes, they unlawfully exploit a system built to support vulnerable seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reinforces the Department’s commitment to protecting taxpayer money and ensuring that Medicare Advantage payments are based on accurate information.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/e6Y3fvaK

Amazon Agrees to $2.25 Million Settlement and Injunction to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act “Consumers whose identities have been stolen should not face unnecessary red tape when they investigate how their identities were misused and seek to clear their names,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue working with the Federal Trade Commission to protect identity theft victims.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQbTV4-9

Ahold Delhaize USA Inc. (Ahold Delhaize), headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay the U.S. and participating states a total of $40 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and state analogs by reporting inflated “usual and customary” prices on claims to federal healthcare programs. “Federal healthcare programs rely on pharmacies reporting accurate pricing information used in the applicable payment formulas,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “If pharmacies report inflated ‘usual and customary’ prices on claims to federal healthcare programs, the programs pay more than they should on those claims.” 🔗: https://lnkd.in/erejDHsU

Canadian Steel Companies and Owner to Pay $19M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs Duties “Import duties serve an important role in protecting our national interests generally and the American steel industry in particular,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “The Department of Justice will zealously pursue anyone who fraudulently evades the duties owed on steel products imported into this country.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/e2T6XJkX

Takeda Agrees to Pay $13.6M to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Payments to Physicians “The Department of Justice is committed to vigorously pursuing violations of the False Claims Act arising from illegal kickbacks,” said @AAGShumate. “Such conduct can erode the trust that patients place in their healthcare providers and lead to higher drug costs for American taxpayers.” 🔗: https://lnkd.in/e-Jp9Dkz

Two big wins for DOJ CIV out of the Ninth Circuit this week! District courts had enjoined Federal agencies from using crowd-control methods to protect Federal property in Portland, Oregon. DOJ appealed and the Ninth Circuit stayed both injunctions, which the Court described as “extremely dangerous to both federal officers and public.” Links: https://lnkd.in/e9Kauezy https://lnkd.in/e6mZDSmf

The Civil Division just won a huge stay in the NYT Pentagon access case. A district court required DOW to let journalists access the Pentagon without a DOW escort. DOJ appealed, and the DC Circuit granted a stay, permitting DOW to protect the Pentagon and secure critical information. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/e6XknmtP

Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has filed a denaturalization action in the Southern District of New York against Hassan Sherjil Khan, a native of Pakistan. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eS3mj-NZ

Yesterday, the DOJ Civil Division had a huge legal victory in the 9th Circuit where the court halted California’s unconstitutional law targeting federal law enforcement agents. "The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like California’s." - Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. Link to the opinion: https://lnkd.in/efPafaeF

The Civil Division is hiring a Trial Attorney for the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch The Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch is seeking a Trial Attorney to represent the United States in a broad range of affirmative civil litigation. The Branch is structured into two sections: an Enforcement Section that pursues cases under key consumer protection and public-safety statutes, and an Affirmative Litigation Section that files lawsuits to ensure nationwide compliance with federal law against state, local, or private actors. Trial Attorneys in the Branch play a central role on these matters - partnering with client agencies, leading investigations and litigation, and coordinating with Department leadership. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/gatUgaX2