1. Home
  2. |Insights
  3. |Implied False Certification Split Widens

Implied False Certification Split Widens

Client Alert | 1 min read | 06.12.15

In U.S. v. Sanford-Brown, Ltd. (June 8, 2015), the Seventh Circuit rejected the implied false certification theory of False Claims Act liability, holding that alleged noncompliance with Title IV restrictions incorporated into a program participation agreement (PPA) for the Department of Education's subsidies program was insufficient to trigger FCA liability absent evidence that the defendant's application to establish initial Title IV eligibility was fraudulent. Although the majority of circuits have expressly adopted some form of the implied false certification theory of liability, the court joined the Fifth Circuit as the holdouts in rejecting the theory, explaining that "it would be . . . unreasonable for us to hold that an institution's continued compliance with the thousands of pages of federal statutes and regulations incorporated by reference into the PPA are conditions of payment for purposes of liability under the FCA."


Insights

Client Alert | 8 min read | 04.17.26

CMS Finalizes CY 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rule: Key Implications for Plan Sponsors

On April 6, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final rule governing the Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) programs for Contract Year (CY) 2027. The final rule is effective June 1, 2026, with most provisions applicable to coverage beginning January 1, 2027, and marketing and communications changes taking effect October 1, 2026. Beyond payment, the rule pursues a broad deregulatory agenda aligned with Executive Order 14192, reversing marketing and enrollment safeguards introduced in 2023 and easing documentation and reporting obligations, while introducing new program integrity requirements....