Whistleblowers who report Medicare fraud are protected by international laws from retaliation or other forms of harm. These laws are in place to ensure that those who report fraud are not subjected to any form of retribution. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is an international treaty that was adopted in 2003. It is the first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument and it includes provisions that protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Article 33 of the UNCAC states that countries should take measures to protect whistleblowers from any form of retaliation, including physical, psychological, material, or reputational harm. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also has a set of guidelines for protecting whistleblowers. The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises include a section on protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.
The guidelines state that companies should have policies in place to protect whistleblowers from any form of retaliation, including dismissal, demotion, harassment, or other forms of discrimination. In the United States, the False Claims Act (FCA) is a federal law that protects whistleblowers who report fraud against the government. The FCA includes provisions that protect whistleblowers from retaliation by their employers. The law states that employers cannot fire, demote, harass, or otherwise discriminate against an employee who has reported fraud against the government. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is another federal law that protects whistleblowers from retaliation. The law states that employers cannot fire, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or otherwise discriminate against an employee who has reported fraud against the government. In addition to these laws, there are also state laws that protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
For example, California has a whistleblower protection law that prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report fraud or other illegal activities. These laws are in place to ensure that those who report Medicare fraud are not subjected to any form of retribution. Whistleblowers play an important role in helping to combat fraud and these laws help to ensure that they are protected from any form of retaliation or harm.