Whisteblowers filed a record 979 qui tam lawsuits in 2024, according to a Jan. 15 Justice Department report.
1. False Claims Act settlements and judgments hit $2.92 billion for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, up from $2.79 billion last year and the highest figure since the Justice Department reported $5.69 billion in judgments and settlements in 2021.
2. More than $1.67 billion of the judgments and settlements in 2024 involved the healthcare industry, down from $1.86 billion last year. The $1.67 billion figure reflects recoveries arising only from federal losses, but the Justice Department said it was also instrumental in recovering additional funds for state Medicaid programs.
3. The 979 qui tam lawsuits filed in 2024 surpassed the previous record of 757 set in 2013. Whistleblowers filed 370 healthcare-related qui tam suits in 2024, up from 349 filed in 2023. In 2013 and 2016 a record 504 healthcare-related qui suits were filed.
4. There were 558 total False Claims Act settlements and judgments in 2024, the second–highest total after last year’s record of 566.