California Whistleblower Lawyer Discusses Medicare Fraud November 14, :23 PM SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 14, 2014 / Kathleen Scanlan Federal Whistleblower Lawyer from California discusses focused efforts to identify the most troubling forms of fraud - and how insiders provide invaluable help.Kathleen Scanlan Federal Whistleblower Lawyer from California Fraud takes many shapes, but some forms have had a particularly harmful impact on society. Certain Medicare frauds, for example, can mean the loss of millions of dollars that could be helping those in need. Some financial frauds, meanwhile, can destroy shareholder value and shake investor confidence. Little wonder, then, that the government has created special task forces that focus on these high-priority frauds. These initiatives send a message to wrongdoers that there is a coordinated effort to root them out - and are the government's own admission of where it could use the help of whistleblowers.

In a new Google Hangout from Keller Grover, attorney Kathleen Scanlan discusses these government task forces: how they work, and how whistleblowers are uniquely positioned to provide information that can help the government succeed in these priorities. Watch the Google Hangout "California Medicare Fraud Lawyer Discusses Medicare Fraud" on YouTube.California Medicare Fraud Lawyer Discusses Medicare Fraud The video talks about some of the most important task forces operating today, run by agencies like Health and Human Services, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice. It also addresses where whistleblowers fit in: providing essential details that shine a light on how wrongful activity is being conducted. "Government programs are a ready target for fraud because they involve such large outlays. So it's only natural that some of these programs would be a key focus of anti-fraud enforcement activity," says Scanlan. "Task forces are staffed by government agents and investigators and charged with fighting fraud where the government is seeing some of the worst abuse." Among the most visible task forces are the SEC's "Operation Broken Gate," which is designed to identify auditors who fail to carry out their professional responsibilities and put investors at risk by not detecting financial misstatements and reporting fraud. Already, the task force has seen a number of successful enforcement actions against auditors who failed to comply with professional standards.

Medicare fraud is also the subject of task force action. The Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), for example, is a joint effort of the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission: to crack down on the individuals and organizations that abuse the Medicare and Medicaid programs and cost Americans billions of dollars each year, through false billing and other schemes. Procurement fraud has been the focus of government task forces, as well. The International Contract Corruption Task Force concentrates on the often complex frauds that divert taxpayer funds intended to support U.S. military efforts abroad. The National Procurement Fraud Task Force, meanwhile, is tasked with identifying fraud involving the nearly $450 billion in grants the government awards each year, for everything from transportation infrastructure and homeland security to scientific research and the arts. "Coordinated efforts like task forces focus government resources to key battlegrounds in the fight against fraud," Attorney Kathleen Scanlan says. "But task forces still need sufficient, accurate information if they are to root out wrongful activity. That's where whistleblowers prove time and again why they are the most effective weapons in the government arsenal. They are able to provide details that a government task force might not otherwise be able to obtain. The federal legislation that empowers individuals who sound the alarm on fraud against the government - the False Claims Act -- has spurred the recovery of more than $34 billion since the mid 1980s. That is $34 billion that the government has been able to redirect back to where it was intended: funding worthy projects and fulfilling important goals, from healthcare to defense." Task forces, as Kathleen Scanlan explains, are an acknowledgement of where significant fraud is happening and a dedication of significant resources to take on fraud. Combined with a whistleblower's information, this puts the government in the best possible position to end wrongful activity -- and steer funds back to the purpose they were intended for. More Information at: Follow Kathleen Scanlan Federal Whistleblower Lawyers' webpage.webpage Call the Whistleblower Helpline to report Medicare or Medicaid Fraud SOURCE: Keller Grover LLP