United States Tenth Circuit

In the context of a False Claims Act action, the immunity conferred on Medicare carriers by the Medicare immunity provision, 42 U.S.C. section 1395u(e), does not extend to circumstances involving gross negligence or an intent to defraud the United States.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/05/2006
• Published 12/06/2006

Judges

• LUCERO, Circuit Judge., Before LUCERO, PORFILIO, and HARTZ, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Arthur J. England, Jr., Greenberg Traurig, L.L.C., Miami, Florida;  and Daniel L. Day, Murray, Utah (David K. Isom, Greenberg Traurig, L.L.C., Denver, Colorado;  Matthew R. Howell, Fillmore Spencer, L.L.C., Provo Utah;  Roger H. Hoole, Hoole & King, L.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, with them on the briefs) for Plaintiffs-Appellants., Charles W. Scarborough, Appellate Division, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., (Paul M. Warner, United States Attorney, District of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah;  Peter D. Keisler and Douglas N. Letter, Department of Justice, Civil Division, Washington, D.C., with him on the brief), for amicus curiae the United States of America on behalf of Plaintiffs-Appellants., James Moorman, and Joseph E.B. White, Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund, Washington, D.C., filed an amicus curiae brief for Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund on behalf of Plaintiffs-Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Robert K. Huffman, Miller & Chevalier Chartered, Washington, D.C., (Randy L. Dryer and James T. Blanch, Parsons Behle & Latimer, Salt Lake City, Utah, with him on the brief), for Defendants-Appellees Regence Bluecross Blueshield of Utah, John P. Mitchell, Jed H. Pitcher, and Frank Brown., James Jardine, Ray Quinney & Nebeker, P.C., Salt Lake City, Utah for Defendant-Appellee Associated Regional and University Pathologists, Inc., Michael S. Lee, General Counsel to the Governor, Salt Lake City, Utah, for amicus curiae Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Governor of Utah on behalf of Defendant-Appellee Associated Regional and University Pathologists, Inc., Gary L. Ayers, Foulston Siefkin, L.L.P., Wichita, Kansas, filed an amicus curiae brief for Adminastar Federal, Inc., Bluecross Blueshield Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Bluecross Blueshield of Montana, Bluecross Blueshield of Nebraska, Bluecross Blueshield of Tennessee, Healthnow New York Inc., Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, Noridian Mutual Insurance Company, Premera Bluecross, United Government Services, L.L.C., and Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation on behalf of Defendant-Appellee Regence Bluecross Blueshield of Utah.