<p>作者：内特·雷蒙德</p>
<p>11 月 4 日（路透社）- 一位保守派联邦上诉法院法官正在敦促他的法院重新审视其自身的先例，以解决允许举报人代表政府起诉公司以追回基于虚假索赔支付的纳税人资金的法律所带来的 “严重宪法问题”。来自新奥尔良的美国第五巡回上诉法院法官詹姆斯·霍在周一的附带意见中阐述了他的立场，他支持三名法官小组的决定，维持对一起根据《虚假索赔法》对一家住院康复机构提起的诉讼的驳回。</p>
<p>他的附带意见针对的是 1863 年在内战期间首次颁布的法律中的 “qui tam” 条款，该条款允许公民代表政府对欺诈行为提起诉讼。</p>
<p>该条款已成为美国政府今天在医疗保健和国防领域打击欺诈的核心。美国司法部表示，在举报人首次提起的案件中，根据《虚假索赔法》的和解和判决在 2024 财年超过了 24 亿美元。</p>
<p>每年都有数百起此类案件被提起，最初是密封的，以便司法部进行调查并决定是否接管。如果选择不接管，举报人可以代表政府继续追诉这些案件，并有机会获得任何财务回收的一部分。</p>
<p>在第五巡回法院审理的案件就是其中一起诉讼。该诉讼是由其前销售代表德德拉·根特里提起的，针对位于德克萨斯州皮尔兰的康复医院，该医院由 Encompass Health Corp（EHC.N）拥有，她声称该医院向医疗保险提交了虚假索赔以获取支付。霍同意小组的决定，维持对根特里投诉的驳回，认为其未能指控能够证明不需要治疗的患者被接收的事实。但霍表示，第五巡回法院应考虑进一步推翻其 2001 年的先例，认为像根特里这样的举报人或原告在未来的案件中根本无法在宪法上代表政府提起此类案件。</p>
<p>“他们假定在联邦法院代表美国政府，并为美国财政部的利益对抗欺诈，” 霍写道。“但与联邦公务员一样，他们既不是由总统任命，也不对总统负责。”</p>
<p>霍指出，“许多联邦司法成员对《虚假索赔法》的 qui tam 条款表达了反复的宪法担忧。” 美国最高法院法官克拉伦斯·托马斯在 2023 年的异议中表示，这些条款存在于 “宪法的黄昏地带”，而其他保守派法官布雷特·卡瓦诺和艾米·科尼·巴雷特在该案的附带意见中表示，最高法院应在未来的案件中考虑这一问题。位于亚特兰大的第 11 巡回上诉法院定于 12 月 12 日考虑是否维持特朗普任命的佛罗里达坦帕的美国地区法官凯瑟琳·米泽尔在 2024 年的裁决，该裁决认为该法律违反了美国宪法第二条的任命条款。</p>
<p>自 2001 年以来，因其被称为最保守的联邦上诉法院的 17 名法官的组成发生了变化，当时它压倒性地维持了该法律。参与维持举报人条款的案件的法官中仅剩三名，包括由共和党总统罗纳德·里根任命的美国巡回法官杰瑞·史密斯，他对 2001 年的裁决发表了霍所称的 “孤独” 异议。霍指出，另一位特朗普任命的美国巡回法官凯尔·邓肯在今年早些时候的另一案件中也呼吁第五巡回法院重新审视其 2001 年的裁决。</p>
<p>“如果我在那个小组中，我会支持他的，” 霍写道。“我现在很高兴能这样做。”</p>
<p>该案是美国诉根特里诉 Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pearland，第五巡回上诉法院，第 25-20093 号。</p>
<p>根特里的律师：沃尔尼·布兰德和基思·法兰奇</p>
<p>Encompass Health 的律师：罗伯特·莱恩和艾伦·约克</p>
<p>阅读更多：</p>
<p>《虚假索赔法》举报人条款的争斗在上诉中加剧</p>
<p>美国法官裁定《虚假索赔法》的举报人条款违宪</p>

<p>一位保守派的联邦上诉法院法官詹姆斯·霍（James Ho）对《虚假索赔法》中保护举报人的条款的合宪性表示担忧，该法允许个人代表政府提起诉讼。在最近的一份附带意见中，他敦促第五巡回法院重新考虑其先例，认为举报人不应对总统负责，也不应在法庭上代表政府。这一观点是在法院维持对 Encompass Health 因涉嫌向医疗保险提交虚假索赔而被驳回的诉讼的背景下提出的。霍的意见反映了关于该法律合宪性影响的持续辩论</p>

<p>By Nate Raymond</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>作者：内特·雷蒙德</p>
</div><p>Nov 4 (Reuters) - A conservative federal appeals court judge is urging his court to revisit its own precedent in order to address the “serious constitutional problems” with a law that allows whistleblowers to sue companies on the government’s behalf to recover taxpayer funds paid out based on false claims. U.S. Circuit Judge James Ho of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals laid out his position in a concurring opinion on Monday as he joined a three-judge panel’s decision to uphold the dismissal of one such lawsuit against an inpatient-rehabilitation facility under the False Claims Act.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>11 月 4 日（路透社）- 一位保守派联邦上诉法院法官正在敦促他的法院重新审视其自身的先例，以解决允许举报人代表政府起诉公司以追回基于虚假索赔支付的纳税人资金的法律所带来的 “严重宪法问题”。来自新奥尔良的美国第五巡回上诉法院法官詹姆斯·霍在周一的附带意见中阐述了他的立场，他支持三名法官小组的决定，维持对一起根据《虚假索赔法》对一家住院康复机构提起的诉讼的驳回。</p>
</div><p>His concurring opinion took aim at the “qui tam” provision of a law first enacted in 1863 during the Civil War that allows citizens to file lawsuits on the government’s behalf against individuals and companies defrauding it.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>他的附带意见针对的是 1863 年在内战期间首次颁布的法律中的 “qui tam” 条款，该条款允许公民代表政府对欺诈行为提起诉讼。</p>
</div><p>That provision has become central to how the U.S. government today combats fraud in the health care and defense sectors. Settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act in cases first filed by whistleblowers exceeded $2.4 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Justice said.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>该条款已成为美国政府今天在医疗保健和国防领域打击欺诈的核心。美国司法部表示，在举报人首次提起的案件中，根据《虚假索赔法》的和解和判决在 2024 财年超过了 24 亿美元。</p>
</div><p>Hundreds of such cases are filed annually, initially under seal so the Justice Department can investigate and decide whether to take them over. If it chooses not to, whistleblowers, who stand to receive a cut of any financial recovery, may pursue the lawsuits on the government’s behalf.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>每年都有数百起此类案件被提起，最初是密封的，以便司法部进行调查并决定是否接管。如果选择不接管，举报人可以代表政府继续追诉这些案件，并有机会获得任何财务回收的一部分。</p>
</div><p>The case before the 5th Circuit was one such lawsuit. It was filed against a rehabilitation hospital in Pearland, Texas, owned by Encompass Health Corp (EHC.N) by one of its former sales representatives, Deidra Gentry, who alleged it presented false claims to Medicare in order to get paid. Ho, who was appointed by Republican President Donald Trump during his first term in office, agreed with the panel’s decision to uphold the dismissal of Gentry’s complaint, which it said failed to allege facts that could show patients who did not require treatment were admitted. But Ho said the full 5th Circuit should consider going further by overturning its own 2001 precedent and holding that whistleblowers, or relators, like Gentry cannot constitutionally step into the role of the government to pursue such cases on its behalf at all in a future case.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>在第五巡回法院审理的案件就是其中一起诉讼。该诉讼是由其前销售代表德德拉·根特里提起的，针对位于德克萨斯州皮尔兰的康复医院，该医院由 Encompass Health Corp（EHC.N）拥有，她声称该医院向医疗保险提交了虚假索赔以获取支付。霍同意小组的决定，维持对根特里投诉的驳回，认为其未能指控能够证明不需要治疗的患者被接收的事实。但霍表示，第五巡回法院应考虑进一步推翻其 2001 年的先例，认为像根特里这样的举报人或原告在未来的案件中根本无法在宪法上代表政府提起此类案件。</p>
</div><p>“They presume to represent the United States government in federal court, and to defend the interests of the United States Treasury against fraud,” Ho wrote. “But like federal civil servants, they are neither appointed by, nor accountable to, the President.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>“他们假定在联邦法院代表美国政府，并为美国财政部的利益对抗欺诈，” 霍写道。“但与联邦公务员一样，他们既不是由总统任命，也不对总统负责。”</p>
</div><p>Ho noted that “many members of the federal judiciary have expressed repeated constitutional concerns about the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in a 2023 dissent said the provisions exist in a “constitutional twilight zone,” and fellow conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett in a concurring opinion in that case, United States, ex rel. Polansky v. Executive Health Resources, said the Supreme Court should consider the issue in a future case. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled on December 12 to consider whether to uphold a 2024 ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle, a Trump appointee in Tampa, Florida, holding the law violates the Appointments Clause in Article II of the U.S. Constitution.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>霍指出，“许多联邦司法成员对《虚假索赔法》的 qui tam 条款表达了反复的宪法担忧。” 美国最高法院法官克拉伦斯·托马斯在 2023 年的异议中表示，这些条款存在于 “宪法的黄昏地带”，而其他保守派法官布雷特·卡瓦诺和艾米·科尼·巴雷特在该案的附带意见中表示，最高法院应在未来的案件中考虑这一问题。位于亚特兰大的第 11 巡回上诉法院定于 12 月 12 日考虑是否维持特朗普任命的佛罗里达坦帕的美国地区法官凯瑟琳·米泽尔在 2024 年的裁决，该裁决认为该法律违反了美国宪法第二条的任命条款。</p>
</div><p>The makeup of the 17-judge 5th Circuit, known as the most conservative federal appeals court, has changed since 2001 when it overwhelmingly upheld the law. Only three judges who participated in that case upholding the whistleblower provisions remain on the bench. They include U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry Smith, an appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan, who wrote what Ho called a “lonely” dissent to the 2001 ruling. Ho noted that U.S. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, another Trump appointee, earlier this year in another case also called on the 5th Circuit to revisit its 2001 ruling.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>自 2001 年以来，因其被称为最保守的联邦上诉法院的 17 名法官的组成发生了变化，当时它压倒性地维持了该法律。参与维持举报人条款的案件的法官中仅剩三名，包括由共和党总统罗纳德·里根任命的美国巡回法官杰瑞·史密斯，他对 2001 年的裁决发表了霍所称的 “孤独” 异议。霍指出，另一位特朗普任命的美国巡回法官凯尔·邓肯在今年早些时候的另一案件中也呼吁第五巡回法院重新审视其 2001 年的裁决。</p>
</div><p>“Had I been on that panel, I would have joined him,” Ho wrote. “I’m pleased to do so now.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>“如果我在那个小组中，我会支持他的，” 霍写道。“我现在很高兴能这样做。”</p>
</div><p>The case is U.S. ex rel Gentry v. Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pearland, 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 25-20093.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>该案是美国诉根特里诉 Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pearland，第五巡回上诉法院，第 25-20093 号。</p>
</div><p>For Gentry: Volney Brand of Brand Law and Keith French of Keith B. French Law</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>根特里的律师：沃尔尼·布兰德和基思·法兰奇</p>
</div><p>For Encompass Health: Robert Layne and Alan York of Reed Smith</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>Encompass Health 的律师：罗伯特·莱恩和艾伦·约克</p>
</div><p>Read more:</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>阅读更多：</p>
</div><p>Fight over False Claims Act whistleblower provision heats up on appeal</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>《虚假索赔法》举报人条款的争斗在上诉中加剧</p>
</div><p>False Claims Act’s whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, US judge rules</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>美国法官裁定《虚假索赔法》的举报人条款违宪</p>
</div>

保守派上诉法官批评美国举报人法存在 ‘宪法问题’