DoJ Recovers Over $5 billion But Announces Just $2.4 Billion in "Official" FCA Recoveries

DoJ Recovers Over $5 billion But Announces Just $2.4 Billion in "Official" FCA Recoveries

Fiscal Year 2009 has been a record year in False Claims Act recoveries, with well over $5.6 billion in overall recoveries announced. So why do "official" DoJ numbers show only $2.4 billion in False Claims Act recoveries? Simple: The U.S. Department of Justice does not count criminal recoveries (in the Pfizer matter alone, this was $1 billion), nor do they count money disbursed to the states in settlements (about 45% of all money collected in Medicaid cases), nor do they count money not actually collected this Fiscal Year. Bottom line: Total "official" False Claims Act recoveries in 2009 were $2.4 billion, though more than $5 billion in False Claims Act case recoveries were announced by Uncle Sam and the States.