False Claims Act Recoveries in FY 2021

A Quantitative Look at an Eventful Year in FCA Recoveries

On February 1, 2022, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released its False Claims Act (FCA) settlement and judgments results for the fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2021. It was a significant year for FCA recoveries; the DOJ collected $5.6 billion in settlements and judgments for civil cases involving alleged fraud and false claims made by the federal government. It is the second largest amount of FCA recoveries ever and the highest total since 2014. FCA cases and recoveries continued to be represented primarily by healthcare-related recoveries and, to a lesser extent, government procurement–related recoveries. The DOJ noted new developments on the FCA recovery front, including investigations involving COVID-related federal relief legislation and an announced initiative and government focus on cybersecurity fraud. Other forms of FCA recoveries common in past years included recoveries  related to mortgage finance, energy, and communications services.