In a decision that will impact Government contractors, health care providers and all institutions that accept federal dollars, the U.S. Supreme Court this past week offered a qualified affirmation of the validity of the implied certification theory of False Claims Act liability. In Universal Health Servs. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar, the Court unanimously held that a defendant may be liable under the FCA when, in connection with a claim for payment submitted to the government, the defendant “makes specific representations about the goods or services provided” and fails to disclose noncompliance with material statutory, regulatory, or contractual requirements that makes the representations “misleading half-truths.”

In a “Feature Comment” published in The Government Contractor, C&M attorneys analyze the Court’s opinion, the legal and factual context in which it arose, and its likely effect on federal government contractors