In 2010, as part of the Affordable Care Act, Congress resolved a highly litigated issue about whether a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) can serve as a basis for liability under the federal False Claims Act (FCA). Specifically, Congress amended the AKS to state that a “claim that includes items or services resulting from a violation of [the AKS] constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the [FCA].”
This amendment, however, did not end the debate over the relationship between the AKS and the FCA. Over the last several years, multiple courts have been called upon to interpret what it means for a claim to “result from” a violation of the AKS. Courts across the country are split on the correct standard. On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit joined the Sixth and Eight Circuits in adopting a stricter “but-for” standard of causation—while the Third Circuit has previously declared that the government must merely prove a causal connection between an illegal kickback and a claim being submitted for reimbursement.
Blog Editors
Recent Updates
- DOJ’s Final Rule on Bulk Data Transfers: The First 180 Days
- California Governor Signs SB 351, Strengthening the State’s Corporate Practice of Medicine Doctrine
- No Remuneration Plus No "But-For" Causation (Between an Alleged Kickback and Claims Submitted to the Government) Means No FCA Violation, District Court Says
- Novel Lawsuits Allege AI Chatbots Encouraged Minors’ Suicides, Mental Health Trauma: Considerations for Stakeholders
- DOJ Creates Civil Division Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch: Implications for Health Care and Beyond