Opinion
22-CV-565-TSZ
12-20-2023
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, STATE OF HAWAII, STATE OF NEW MEXICO, and STATE OF WASHINGTON, ex rel. JOHN DOE, Plaintiffs, v. DAIYA HEALTHCARE, PLLC and BHUPINDER WALIA, M.D., Defendants.
Matt Waldrop, Assistant United States Attorney United States Attorney's Office Matthew Kuehn, Assistant Attorney General Office of the Attorney General of Washington State Medicaid Fraud Control Division
Matt Waldrop, Assistant United States Attorney United States Attorney's Office
Matthew Kuehn, Assistant Attorney General Office of the Attorney General of Washington State Medicaid Fraud Control Division
ORDER
Thomas S. Zilly, United States District Judge
The United States of America and the States of California, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Washington (collectively, the “Governmental Entities”) have filed an ex parte Application for an Extension of Time to Consider Election to Intervene, seeking a six-month extension of time, from December 15, 2023, to June 15, 2024, to notify the Court whether they intend to intervene in this qui tam action. Such an extension of time is expressly contemplated by the False Claims Act and the various State analogues, which provide that the Governmental Entities “may, for good cause shown” move the Court for extensions of time. E.g., 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(3). The Court finds that the ex parte Application establishes good cause.
Accordingly, the Governmental Entities' fourth motion for extension, docket no. 27, is GRANTED, and the Governmental Entities shall have until June 15, 2024, to notify the Court of their decision to intervene in this qui tam action. The Governmental Entities are again ADVISED that the Court will be very reluctant to grant any further extension requests. The Clerk shall maintain the Complaint and other filings under seal for the duration of the investigation.