On May 15th the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa announced that it is pursuing a case against Adam Smith, M.D., also known as “Adam Bryant,” for alleged submission of false claims to Medicare. The government’s suit alleges that Smith billed Medicare for cosmetic surgeries that were not medically necessary, that he overbilled the government for more than services were worth, and that he billed the government for services and operations that were never performed.
The suit alleges that Smith made or caused over one thousand false claims to the government, and that its information originated from a whistleblower who filed under the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act. Qui tam claims enable private citizens to file lawsuits on behalf of the government if they know of an individual or company defrauding the government. Qui tam whistleblowers are eligible to receive between 15 and 30% of the government’s recovery. The government confirmed that if successful in its case against Smith, the whistleblower will receive a share of the settlement or final penalties.
Further Reading:
United States Files Complaint Alleging Iowa Surgeon Caused Submission of False Claims to Medicare