Outcome: $7 million settlement | $1.3 million whistleblower award
Tycko & Zavareei LLP partner Eva Gunasekera, while working for the United States Department of Justice, helped obtain an over $7 million resolution against a doctor and their cardiology practice after investigating a complaint by two individuals. The whistleblowers alleged that the cardiology practice routinely performed unnecessary cardiac procedures on patients and billed Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for them. The government discovered that the physician was one of Medicare’s highest-paid cardiologists in the country. As part of the resolution, the doctor was prohibited from participation in the Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE programs for three years. For reporting these harmful medical procedures to the Department of Justice, the whistleblowers received over $1.3 million.