Did You Know?
DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) on October 20, just 19 days after Directive 26-12 called for new whistleblower incentives. WHIP offers rewards of $10,000 to $30,000 for information relating to:
- Federal health care offenses and related crimes, with priority for hospice, home health care, day care, and special services fraud.
- Fraud on programs administered by HHS, USDA, Labor, HUD, Education, VA, the Department of War, and the SBA.
Why It Matters
WHIP is an incentive program to speed up and increase reporting:
- Awards come after criminal charges are filed, not after forfeiture and appeals.
- Tipsters remain eligible for larger awards through other programs, including the Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program.
- The Department of Treasury is committing $25 million to implementation.
Employees and others with knowledge of misconduct now have a fast, reliable incentive to go directly to DOJ.
Preparing for Increased Whistleblower Activity
PorzioCS can help companies strengthen internal reporting channels, assess risk, and develop protocols to respond promptly to internal complaints, creating a “speak up” culture to appropriately address concerns.
Are Your Internal Reporting Channels Ready?
With fast-track rewards now available, companies should reexamine their processes to identify, investigate, and address potential misconduct internally.
Contact PorzioCS to learn how we can help your company evaluate its speak-up culture and prepare for heightened DOJ fraud enforcement.