By: Christopher A. Parrella, Esq., CPC, CHC, CPCO
Parrella Health Law, Boston, Ma.
A Health Law Defense and Compliance Firm

In his remarks at the 2024 Federal Bar Association’s Qui Tam Conference, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton highlighted the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) significant achievements and future priorities in enforcing the False Claims Act (FCA). Boynton revealed that the DOJ recovered nearly $2.7 billion in fiscal year 2023 through the FCA, marking the 15th consecutive year of recoveries surpassing $2 billion. This year also set a record with 543 FCA settlements and judgments, and the initiation of over 500 new non-qui tam FCA matters, showcasing an unprecedented level of enforcement activity.

Boynton pointed out three main areas of focus for future enforcement:

• Cybersecurity: The DOJ continues to prioritize actions against government contractors failing to meet federal cybersecurity requirements, with several cases already resulting in settlements and many more under investigation.
• Pandemic Fraud: The FCA has been instrumental in addressing fraud related to pandemic relief efforts, including misuse of Paycheck Protection Program loans and other pandemic-related financial assistance programs. The DOJ resolved around 270 FCA matters involving PPP loans in fiscal year 2023 alone.
• Healthcare Fraud: This remains the largest area of FCA enforcement, with nearly $1.9 billion of the year’s recoveries related to healthcare fraud schemes. The DOJ is particularly focused on combatting financial inducements for referrals that violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, and on addressing fraud involving nursing homes and other healthcare services.

Christopher Parrella, ESQ, CPC, CHC, CPCO, is the founding partner of Parrella Health Law in Boston, Mass. The firm focuses exclusively on healthcare defense and compliance matters. Chris also travels the country on behalf of a wide range of healthcare organizations, lecturing on a variety of health care enforcement and compliance topics. Chris is one of a handful of health care attorney’s that are also Certified Professional Coders (CPC) and is a member of the AAPC’s National Legal Advisory Board and Ethics Committee.  He is also a Certified Professional Compliance Officer (CPCO) and Certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC.)