Author: Andrew Brantingham

Andrew's experience spans a wide range of industries, and has particular depth in the health care field (including medical malpractice defense, government investigations, False Claims Act matters, and commercial litigation involving health systems, medical device firms, and others), federal Indian law (representing tribes across the nation as well as nontribal firms doing business in Indian Country), and the financial services industry (including class actions, broker-dealer disputes, and securities litigation).

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False Claims Act Exposure for Beneficiaries of the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Relief Fund: Mitigating Risks of Ambiguous Terms & Conditions

I. Introduction The CARES Act allocated $100 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers, to be distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Relief Fund (or “Provider Relief Fund”). Many healthcare providers across the country have received payments from the Fund, beginning with an initial tranche of $30 billion distributed in...

Relator Failed to Sufficiently Plead its FCA Action by Relying on Big Data Alone, Resulting In Big Dismissal

In early August, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted a hospital system’s motion to dismiss a False Claims Act case that illustrates the increasing intersections in FCA litigation between data analytics and health care providers’ efforts to increase revenue through aggressive management of coding and billing practices. United States ex rel. Integra Med Analytics, LLC v. Scott et al., No....

Senate Finance Committee Explores Revisions to Stark Law

At a July 12, 2016 hearing entitled “Examining the Stark Law: Current Issues and Opportunities,” members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee expressed openness to potentially significant amendments to the Stark Law aimed at alleviating the threat of potentially devastating liability the Stark Law can impose on health care providers that pursue value-based payment models. The Stark Law, 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn, generally prohibits a...

Fourth Circuit Affirms $237 Million Jury Verdict for Stark and FCA Violations; Rejects Advice-of-Counsel Defense

On July 2, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a jury verdict of more than $237 million against Tuomey Healthcare System, a nonprofit hospital in South Carolina, based on Stark Law and False Claims Act violations.  United States ex rel. Drakeford v. Tuomey Healthcare System, No. 13-2219 (4th Cir. July 2, 2015).  The Government’s claims in the case were based on...