Qui tam: suing physicians who make false claims.

The 1986 False Claims Act Amendments authorize private citizens to sue on behalf of the U.S. government to recover federal funds from fraudulent recipients. The "relator" receives a share of any proceeds from a successful lawsuit. Originally enacted because of defense procurement scandals, this statute also applies to federal payments for health care (for example, Medicare, Medicaid, Civilian Health and Medical Program for Uniformed Services payments; veterans benefits; and research grants). Physicians can expect qui tam litigation to increase in the future.