False Claims Act (FCA)

[31 USC § 3729]

False Claims Act and “Double Dipping”

Under the False Claims Act, those who knowingly submit, or cause another person or entity to submit, false claims for payment of government funds are liable for three times the government’s damages plus civil penalties of $10,781 to $21,563 per false claim.

Health Science Center researchers must follow billing compliance policies, standards, and processes so no participant or third party payer is billed for any services that a Sponsor has provided or offered funds for.  Even if the services are considered standard of care or medically necessary and even if it is the hospital receiving the insurance reimbursement and the University is receiving the Sponsor’s funds, this is a form of a False Claim.

Other Regulations Pertinent to False Claims

There are many statutes that deal with false claims and/or research issues. Note that these regulations can be appended to one another, so they are not mutually exclusive. A violation of one may also be a violation of another. These statues include, but are not limited to, the following: