Wednesday, May 19, 2021 The U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) recently settled whistleblower False Claims Act (“FCA”) allegations against The University of Miami (“UMiami”) for $22 million, which resolves claims from three separate lawsuits related to billing practices at UMiami’s off-campus hospital-based facilities (“Off-Campus Hospital Facilities”) and fraudulent claims for laboratory services. Allegations were first raised in 2013 through the filing of a whistleblower lawsuit. Two additional whistleblower lawsuits were filed in late 2013 and mid-2014. The DOJ intervened in all three and alleged: UMiami knowingly engaged in improper billing relating to its Off-Campus Hospital Facilities. Off-Campus Hospital Facilities are required to give notice to Medicare beneficiaries explaining that they would face higher costs when receiving services at Off-Campus Hospital Facilities as opposed to physician offices. Here, UMiami allegedly converted multiple physician offices to Off-Campus Hospital Facilities, and then sought payment at higher rates without providing beneficiaries the required notice, even after being advised by a Medicare Administrative Contractor that its notice practices were deficient.