Treasury Whistleblower Program
The U.S. Treasury is Encouraging Whistleblowers to Report Healthcare Fraud to the Federal Government
Whistleblower Team Lead
Former DOJ Attorney
Whistleblower Team Lead
Whistleblower Team
Former U.S. Attorney and District Attorney
The U.S. Department of the Treasury is encouraging whistleblowers to come forward with information about fraud under Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs. In a March 2026 press release referencing President Trump’s leadership and the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, the U.S. Treasury wrote that is encouraging vigilance, “about fraud schemes targeting government health care benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.” The announcement also states that the U.S. Treasury is, “implementing [various programs] to detect and stop government benefits fraud across the country.”
This includes a program focused on working with whistleblowers.
Whistleblowers who help the U.S. Treasury and/or the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud are entitled to monetary awards under federal law. These awards can be substantial. Along with healthcare fraud, whistleblowers can report various other forms of fraud as well, and whistleblowers who assist the federal government with pursuing any type of successful enforcement action can become eligible to receive a percentage of the tax dollars recovered.
We Handle Whistleblower Claims Involving All Forms of Healthcare Fraud
Our attorneys represent whistleblowers who are prepared to come forward with original information about billing violations and other forms of federal healthcare fraud. We work with current and former employees, citizen-journalists, and other individuals who are prepared to report specific violations of the federal laws and regulations that govern the federally funded healthcare system.
If you are eligible to serve as a healthcare whistleblower, we can help you make a protected disclosure through the appropriate means. In most circumstances, this will involve filing a whistleblower complaint under the False Claims Act. The U.S. Treasury and DOJ rely heavily on whistleblowing to help them target violations including (but by no means limited to):
- Obtaining improper payments under Medicare and Medicaid
- Paying, offering to pay, soliciting, or receiving illegal kickbacks or referral fees
- Falsifying patient records or billing records
- Seeking Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements on behalf of non-existent businesses
- Making fraudulent misrepresentations to secure federal healthcare contracts and grants
These violations, among others, can expose healthcare providers to criminal fines and other serious penalties. Under the False Claims Act, when an eligible whistleblower submission leads to a successful enforcement action based on the whistleblower’s information, the whistleblower is entitled to a percentage of the proceeds collected. This percentage ranges from 15% to 30% of the government’s recovery in most cases.
We Also Help Whistleblowers Come Forward Under Other U.S. Treasury Whistleblower Programs
Along with encouraging whistleblowers to report healthcare fraud, the U.S. Treasury is encouraging whistleblowers to report various other forms of fraud as well. The U.S. Treasury administers two whistleblower programs that pay awards to eligible whistleblowers:
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Whistleblower Program
The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) accepts whistleblower tips involving Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) violations, sanctions violations, money laundering, and other federal financial crimes. FinCEN has the administrative authority to conduct investigations when it receives credible information from whistleblowers, and FinCEN investigations can lead to both civil enforcement actions and criminal prosecutions.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Whistleblower Program
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is also a bureau of the U.S. Treasury, administers a Treasury whistleblower program focused on uncovering violations of the nation’s tax laws. Under the IRS award program, the IRS’s Whistleblower Office pays monetary awards to eligible individuals who expose tax fraud, tax evasion, and other serious federal tax violations.
As the IRS explains, “[w]hat is now Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 7623(a) has been on the books since March 1867, allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to pay such amounts as he deems necessary ‘for detecting and bringing to trial and punishment persons guilty of violating the internal revenue laws or conniving at the same.’” While the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 and other federal laws have made changes to the IRS’s whistleblower award program, the program’s focus has remained the same since Congress established it more than 150 years ago.
Calculating Award Amounts in U.S. Treasury Whistleblower Cases
Whistleblowers can receive monetary awards when they come forward under the False Claims Act, FinCEN’s whistleblower program, or the IRS’s whistleblower program. Whistleblower awards in U.S. Treasury whistleblower cases are calculated as follows:
- False Claims Act (Healthcare Fraud Whistleblowers) – As noted above, healthcare fraud whistleblowers who come forward under the False Claims Act are generally entitled to between 15% and 30% of the government’s recovery. Specific award amounts are determined based on the value of the information provided, the level of assistance the whistleblower provides during the government’s investigation, and the DOJ’s decision regarding intervention, among other factors.
- FinCEN Whistleblower Program – In parallel with the U.S. Treasury’s March 2026 announcement, FinCEN introduced a proposed framework for compensating whistleblowers. If finalized, this framework would entitle eligible whistleblowers to between 10% and 30% of the government’s recovery, provided that the government recovers $1 million or more.
- IRS Whistleblower Program – The IRS pays whistleblower awards ranging from 15% to 30% of the amount recovered in cases involving amounts in controversy in excess of $2 million. The IRS considers whistleblowing to be essential to effective tax administration, and it has annually paid in excess of $100 million to eligible whistleblowers in recent years.
Whistleblower awards have the potential to be substantial. With that said, whistleblower awards are not available in all cases, and it is up to whistleblowers to do what is required to both maximize their chances of success and maximize their award eligibility. If you are interested in learning more, we invite you to schedule a free and confidential consultation at Oberheiden P.C.
How Our Treasury Whistleblower Program Lawyers Can Help
We provide comprehensive legal representation for individuals who are considering coming forward under all federal whistleblower programs. Our attorneys can assess your eligibility to serve as a whistleblower based on the information you have in your possession, and then we can help you make an informed decision about coming forward. If you decide to come forward, we can work with the appropriate federal authorities on your behalf, and we can protect your identity throughout the process.
If you become eligible to receive a whistleblower award, our attorneys can also work to secure your award from the relevant federal agency. Our legal fees, if any, will be calculated as a percentage of your award if your case is successful.
FAQs: Reporting Fraud to the U.S. Treasury Department
What has U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said about encouraging whistleblowers to come forward?
On March 30, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a press release which quotes Secretary Bessent as stating that under his leadership, the U.S. Treasury, “will continue to find and disrupt fraud schemes wherever they exist, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to hold perpetrators to account.” While the press release followed Secretary Bessent’s visit to Minnesota focused on uncovering healthcare fraud, the U.S. Treasury’s press release emphasizes that whistleblowers can report many other forms of fraud as well.
How do I contact the IRS Whistleblower Office?
Whistleblowers who have information about tax fraud, tax evasion, or other federal tax law violations can come forward by contacting the IRS Whistleblower Office. Strict filing requirements apply, so engaging experienced whistleblower counsel is strongly recommended.
What whistleblower protections are available to U.S. Treasury whistleblowers?
Along with eligibility for whistleblower compensation, U.S. Treasury whistleblowers are also entitled to stringent protections under federal law. These include confidentiality protections as well as protection against retaliation by their employers.
When we represent whistleblowers, we work alongside the U.S. Treasury and other federal agencies to protect our clients’ identities by all available means. While retaliation is relatively rare, our attorneys are also prepared to take legal action to protect our whistleblower clients’ legal rights if necessary.
What is the Tax Relief and Health Care Act, and why is it important for U.S. Treasury whistleblowers?
The Tax Relief and Health Care Act is a federal law that enhanced the protections available to IRS whistleblowers. Today, IRS whistleblowers—like all other U.S. Treasury whistleblowers—are entitled to confidentiality and anti-retaliation protections provided that they come forward through the appropriate means.
How do legal fees work in federal whistleblower cases?
As noted above, our legal fees, if any, will be calculated as a percentage of your whistleblower award if you help the U.S. Treasury or DOJ recover taxpayer dollars or secure monetary penalties. If you do not receive a whistleblower award, you will owe us nothing for our legal representation.
Schedule a Free and Confidential Consultation with a Senior Whistleblower Lawyer at Oberheiden P.C.
If you have questions about reporting healthcare fraud, tax fraud, Bank Secrecy Act violations, or any other form of wrongdoing to the federal government, we strongly encourage you to get in touch. We represent U.S. Treasury whistleblowers throughout the United States and worldwide. To schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our senior whistleblower lawyers as soon as possible, call 888-680-1745 or tell us how we can contact you online now.
