1.   For more than a year, federal and state investigators have been investigating whether the company defrauded federal and state health-care programs for the poor and elderly.

2.   One portion of the law encourages individuals to expose efforts to defraud federal programs, offering them handsome rewards for bringing suits on behalf of the government.

3.   Prosecutors there are investigating whether the local hospitals defrauded federal health programs by misreporting costs and submitting fraudulent bills, according to an affidavit filed last week.

4.   The legislation, among other things, will increase the authority of federal investigators to impose sanctions on health providers who defraud the program, he said.

5.   The legislation, among other things, would increase the authority of federal investigators to impose sanctions on health providers who defraud the program.

6.   Through the False Claims Act, the government can pursue corporations or individuals who have defrauded federal programs and seek as much as triple damages.