A constant flow of headlines shows the extent of health care fraud – and efforts by the justice system to fight it.

Atlanta attorney Peter Canfield says in a new GHN Commentary that while fraud is booming, so is the power of its most effective opponent – the whistleblower.

Since the Civil War-era False Claims Act was rejuvenated in the 1980s, health care fraud recoveries have netted billions of dollars, Canfield writes.

And whistleblower statutes have been strengthened in Georgia as well.

“Last year, with prodding from federal officials, the Georgia Legislature significantly encouraged whistleblower actions directed at fraud of all sorts at the state and local governmental level by enacting the Georgia Taxpayer Protection False Claims Act,’’ Canfield writes.

Here is a link to his Commentary.

Georgia Health News welcomes Commentary submissions. If you would like to propose a Commentary piece for Georgia Health News, please email Andy Miller, editor of GHN, at amiller@georgiahealthnews.com