Opinion
19-CV-86-TL
01-04-2023
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and STATE OF WASHINGTON, ex rel. ANDY COSENTINO, Plaintiffs, v. SWEDISH HEALTH SYSTEM, et al., Defendants.
KAYLA C. STAHMAN, CA #228931 Assistant United States Attorney United States Attorney's Office NICKOLAS BOHL, WSBA #48978 Assistant United States Attorney United States Attorney's Office MATTHEW KUEHN, WSBA #30419 Assistant Attorney General Office of the Attorney General of Washington State
KAYLA C. STAHMAN, CA #228931
Assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney's Office
NICKOLAS BOHL, WSBA #48978
Assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney's Office
MATTHEW KUEHN, WSBA #30419
Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General of Washington State
FILED UNDER SEAL
[PROPOSED] ORDER
Tana Lin United States District Judge
The United States and the State of Washington (collectively, the “Governmental Entities”) have filed an Ex Parte Application for an Extension of Time to Consider Election to Intervene, in which the Governmental Entities seek a four-month extension of time, until April 18, 2023, to notify the Court whether they intend to intervene in this qui tam lawsuit. Such an extension of time is expressly contemplated by the False Claims Act and the Washington State Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act, which provide that the United States and the State of Washington, respectively, “may, for good cause shown, move the Court for extensions of . . . time,” 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(3); RCW 74.66.050(3). The Court finds that the Ex Parte Application establishes good cause.
Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that the Governmental Entities shall have until April 18, 2023, to notify the Court of their decision whether or not to intervene in this qui tam action. The Clerk shall maintain the Complaint and other filings under seal for the duration of the Governmental Entities' investigation.