The modern job market is highly competitive, and many people fear losing their job because it could take a long time to find another similar-paying position. If you discover that your employer has engaged in questionable, if not illegal, business practices, your first instinct might be to ignore those issues.
After all, drawing attention to them could jeopardize your job security. Whether you work in a medical setting or a railroad company, if they have questionable billing practices, you have the option of serving as a whistleblower and bringing a qui tam action against the company. What are the incentives for you as an employee to do so?
You have whistleblower and prosecution protections
Even if you never profit from an illegal insurance fraud scheme, if you are aware of inappropriate behavior and do nothing to report or stop it, you could face charges as an accessory or as a member of a conspiracy to commit fraud.
Acting as a whistleblower will usually protect you from prosecution. Additionally, you have specific protections from retaliation by your employer once you report illegal activity to federal agencies or bring a claim against them in civil court.
You can receive a portion of what the government recovers
In a qui tam claim, you act as a relator bringing a civil suit against your employer for their inappropriate billing practices. Provided that you are successful in court, you can potentially receive a percentage of the money recovered for your efforts.
Discussing your employment situation and fraud concerns with an attorney familiar with qui tam cases can give you an idea of the next step to take.
