Substantial Penalties Under the FCA Without Real Damages Violates Eighth Amendment
Client Alert | 1 min read | 02.23.12
Using reasoning that could prove useful to other FCA defendants, the court in U.S. ex rel. Bunk v. Birkart Globistics GmbH & Co. (E.D. Va. Feb. 14, 2012), after the jury found over 9,000 false claims based on invoices submitted, refused to award statutory penalties of between $50.2 and $100.4 million. The court held that, when the qui tam relator failed to show that the government suffered any damage, imposing penalties of this magnitude would have violated the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause and, because it lacked discretion under the FCA to fashion a civil penalty that would be within Constitutional limits, no penalties could be imposed.
Insights
Client Alert | 7 min read | 01.30.26
CMS Proposes CY 2027 Growth Rate and Changes to Risk Adjustment for Medicare Parts C and D
On January 26, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) circulated the Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Advance Notice to communicate proposed changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) capitation rates and Parts C and D payment policies. The changes are expected to be finalized in April 2026 but may be delayed. The following is a summary of the most significant proposals, with further details below:
Client Alert | 4 min read | 01.30.26
Optimum’s Shot Across the Bow: An Antitrust Challenge to Cooperation Agreements
Client Alert | 9 min read | 01.30.26
Client Alert | 7 min read | 01.29.26
ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting 2026: Spotlight on AI Cooperation in Asia's Rising Markets
