- August 25, 2026
A record 979 qui tam lawsuits were filed in fiscal year 2024. Each one started with a person who had evidence of fraud against the federal government and decided to act.
Our team at SEC Whistleblower Advocates represents the bold individuals behind every filing, from the confidential consultation, through the sealed investigation, to the final recovery.
With FCA recoveries hitting $6.8 billion in fiscal year 2025, qui tam remains the most powerful civil fraud enforcement tool in the country.
Key Takeaways
- Relators earn 15% to 25% when the government intervenes, and 25% to 30% when it declines.
- 979 qui tam lawsuits were filed in FY2024, the highest single-year total ever.
- Healthcare fraud produced $5.7 billion in FY2025, but government contracting and cybersecurity fraud are surging.
- Declined cases produced $2.3 billion in FY2025 and for the first time outpaced intervened healthcare cases.
How the False Claims Act and Qui Tam Work
The False Claims Act (FCA) holds any person or company liable for knowingly submitting a false claim for payment to the federal government. Penalties run from $13,508 to $27,018 per false claim, plus treble damages.
The qui tam provision lets private citizens file FCA lawsuits on behalf of the government. A relator hires a False Claims Act lawyer, files the complaint under seal in federal court, and submits a written disclosure to the DOJ. The case stays sealed while federal prosecutors investigate, typically for two to four years. After the investigation, the government either intervenes or declines.
Relators earn 15% to 25% of the recovery when the government intervenes, and 25% to 30% in declined cases. In fiscal year 2024, relators collected over $400 million. Since 1986, qui tam whistleblowers have driven more than 80% of all FCA recoveries, which now exceed $78 billion.
What Fraud Qualifies for a Qui Tam Lawsuit
Healthcare fraud is the largest category. In fiscal year 2025, healthcare FCA cases produced $5.7 billion, or 83% of all recoveries. Common schemes include billing for services never provided, upcoding, Anti-Kickback Statute violations, false Medicare Advantage billing, and illegal physician self-referrals under the Stark Law.
Government contracting fraud covers false certifications, cost overcharging, product substitution, and cybersecurity misrepresentation. The DOJ’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, launched in 2021, uses the FCA to hold government contractors accountable for lying about cybersecurity compliance.
FCA enforcement now reaches well beyond healthcare. In fiscal year 2024, non-healthcare and non-defense recoveries hit $1.15 billion, a 211% year-over-year jump. Qui tam filings outside healthcare reached 609, triple the 2020 number. Fraud involving financial institutions, federal education grants, Paycheck Protection Program loans, defense procurement, and customs violations all fall under FCA enforcement. Any false claim submitted to the federal government qualifies.
What Happens When the Government Declines?
The government declines roughly 80% of qui tam cases. A declination does not mean the case lacks merit. Limited resources and competing priorities drive most declinations.
In fiscal year 2025, declined FCA cases produced $2.3 billion. In healthcare specifically, declined cases recovered $2.27 billion while intervened cases recovered $2.23 billion. For the first time in FCA history, whistleblowers and their False Claims Act lawyers won more in healthcare fraud without government help than with it. Two separate judgments in declined cases exceeded $290 million each.
Many firms walk away after a declination. Experienced FCA attorneys evaluate the evidence and litigate independently when the case warrants it. In declined cases, the relator’s award rises to 25% to 30%. Working with False Claims Act lawyers who have the resources to carry a declined case through trial is often what separates a dead claim from a nine-figure result.
Your Evidence Could Be Worth Millions. Let’s Help You Get It
If fraud against the federal government is happening where you work, the False Claims Act gives you the legal right to act.
SEC Whistleblower Advocates represents qui tam whistleblowers nationwide, and all consultations are confidential. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
