(Centene flouted False Claims Act, forced to compensate whistleblower who raised the alarm)
Centene Corporation was ordered by the Missouri Court of Appeals to pay a significant sum in a retaliation action brought by a former. The judgment came in the case of “Pitcher v Centene Corporation,” in which Ms. Pitcher claimed that her former employer, Centene, had broken the False Claims Act with Medicaid reimbursements.
Centene was held responsible for retaliatory dismissal by the court of appeals, and Ms. Pitcher was granted approximately $1.3 million. Her award included compensatory damages of $80,012 and punitive damages of $750,000. Pitcher also received more than half a million in advance pay for missing salary from the time she was hired until her retirement.
In most retaliation cases, the employee is reinstated. However, if the employee-employer relationship has deteriorated to the point where they cannot repair it, the employee is entitled to advance payment.
Centene appealed the trial court’s decision on several grounds, the most important of which were jurisdictional concerns and the award of front compensation. The Court of Appeals also said it was up to the trial court’s discretion and subject to the jury’s factual findings.
Punitive damages show the jury’s emotion concerning Centene’s illegal conduct according to the court. Centene contended that the initial payment was excessively high, given the compensatory and punitive damages already assessed to Ms. Pitcher.
Centene has a history of breaking the rules.
The court, however, ruled on Pitcher’s behalf. When Centene effectively sought to have the testimony about front pay deleted from the trial, the court implied that Centene “cannot claim the jury addressed front pay in its award because Appellants ensured this issue was reserved for the court.”
Centene has a long history of disputes and run-ins with clients, healthcare professionals, hospitals, and patients who have been rejected media claims at the final hour. Together with its subsidiaries, they have tried silencing oppositions whether from the company or clients who refused to be intimidated by deceptive practices. Centene is currently dealing with a slew of legal issues due to the company’s failure to honor insurance claims.
