Historical High for False Claims Act Settlements and Judgments in Fiscal Year 2023

In fiscal year 2023, the Department of Justice and whistleblowers secured more than $2.68 billion in settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act.  This massive haul came as the result of an historic 543 settlements and judgments.  There has not been another year with more settlements and judgments in the history of the False Claims Act.  This year’s total brings the amounts recovered under the False Claims Act to $75 billion since 1986, when the statute was strengthened by important legislative amendments. 

Over $1.8 billion of the settlements and judgments obtained in FY2023 came in the healthcare space—with recoveries from, among others, managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, acute care facilities, and physicians.  Other recoveries made this past year reflect additional government enforcement priorities, including pandemic relief fraud and grantees’ and government contractors’ noncompliance with cybersecurity requirements.

More than $2.3 billion of the over $2.68 billion recovered came in qui tam, or whistleblower-initiated, lawsuits.  As a result of these qui tam cases, the government paid over $349 million in whistleblower awards.  Whistleblowers also filed 712 new qui tam matters in fiscal year 2023.