DOJ nets $5.6B in False Claims Act settlements in 2021

The U.S. Department of Justice obtained more than $5.6 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government under the False Claims Act for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2021, it said.

The department said in its statement Tuesday this was the second largest annual total in FCA history, and the largest since 2014. It reported more than $2.2 billion in settlements and judgments for fiscal year 2020.

The DOJ said of the more than $5.6 billion in settlements and judgments for FY 2021, more than $5 billion relates to matters that involved the health care industry, including drug and medical device manufacturers, managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, laboratories and physicians. This total does not reflect additional funds recovered for state Medicaid programs, it said.

The DOJ said more than $1.6 billion of the $5.6 billion arose from lawsuits filed under the FCA’s whistleblower provisions. During the same period, the government paid $237 million to individuals who exposed fraud and false claims by filing these actions, the department said.