United States v. Bos. Heart Diagnostics Corp.

296 F. Supp. 3d 155
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedDecember 11, 2017
DocketCivil Action No. 15–487 (RBW)
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 296 F. Supp. 3d 155 (United States v. Bos. Heart Diagnostics Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Bos. Heart Diagnostics Corp., 296 F. Supp. 3d 155 (D.C. Cir. 2017).

Opinion

REGGIE B. WALTON, United States District Judge

The plaintiff/relator, Tina D. Groat, M.D., initiated this qui tam action against the defendant, Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation ("Boston Heart"), under the federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 (2012), and various analog state false claims statutes. See Relator's Second Amended Complaint Pursuant to the Federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq. and Pendent State False Claims Acts ("2d Am. Compl.") ¶ 1. On June 9, 2017, the Court granted in part and denied in part Boston Heart's motion to dismiss the relator's complaint. See United States ex rel. Groat v. Boston Heart Diagnostics Corp., 255 F.Supp.3d 13, 17, 32-33 (D.D.C. 2017) (Walton, J.). Currently before the Court is Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation's Motion for Reconsideration of the Court's Order on the Motion to Dismiss ("Def.'s Mot."). Upon careful consideration of the parties' submissions,1 the Court concludes that it must grant *157in part and deny in part Boston Heart's motion for reconsideration.

I. BACKGROUND

The Court discussed the factual background and statutory authority pertinent to this case in its Memorandum Opinion issued on June 9, 2017, see Groat, 255 F.Supp.3d at 17-20, and will not reiterate those facts and authorities again here. In that opinion, the Court declined to dismiss the relator's presentment claim under § 3729(a)(1)(A) and false statements claim under § 3729(a)(1)(B), as well as her analog presentment and false statements claims under various state false claims act statutes, but dismissed her "reverse false claims" under § 3729(a)(1)(G) and the analog state statutes. See id. at 30-33. On June 23, 2017, Boston Heart filed its present motion, requesting that the Court reconsider its conclusion "that Boston Heart has an obligation to establish that the tests for which it seeks government reimbursement are medically necessary," id. at 25, which "underlies [the Court's] conclusions with respect to both falsity and knowledge as to [the r]elator's presentment ... [and] false statements allegations," Def.'s Mot. at 9 (internal citations omitted).

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b), any order or decision that does not constitute a final judgment "may be revised at any time before the entry of a judgment adjudicating all the claims and all the parties' rights and liabilities." Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b). Although "district court[s] ha[ve] 'broad discretion to hear a motion for reconsideration brought under Rule 54(b),' " Univ. of Colo. Health at Mem'l Hosp. v. Burwell, 164 F.Supp.3d 56, 62 (D.D.C. 2016) (quoting Isse v. Am. Univ., 544 F.Supp.2d 25, 29 (D.D.C. 2008) ), district courts grant motions for reconsideration of interlocutory orders only "as justice requires," Capitol Sprinkler Inspection, Inc. v. Guest Servs., Inc., 630 F.3d 217, 227 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (quoting Greene v. Union Mut. Life Ins. Co. of Am., 764 F.2d 19, 22-23 (1st Cir. 1985) ).

In deciding whether "justice requires" reversal of a prior interlocutory order, courts assess circumstances such as "whether the court 'patently' misunderstood the parties, made a decision beyond the adversarial issues presented, made an error in failing to consider controlling decisions or data, or whether a controlling or significant change in the law has occurred." In Defense of Animals v. Nat'l Insts. of Health, 543 F.Supp.2d 70, 75 (D.D.C. 2008) (quoting Singh v. George Wash. Univ., 383 F.Supp.2d 99, 101 (D.D.C. 2005) ); see also Davis v. Joseph J. Magnolia, Inc., 893 F.Supp.2d 165, 168 (D.D.C. 2012) ("[A] motion for reconsideration is discretionary and should not be granted unless the movant presents either newly discovered evidence or errors of law or fact that need correction."). "The burden is on the moving party to show that reconsideration is appropriate and that harm or injustice would result if reconsideration were denied." United States ex rel. Westrick v. Second Chance Body Armor, Inc., 893 F.Supp.2d 258, 268 (D.D.C. 2012) (citing Husayn v. Gates, 588 F.Supp.2d 7, 10 (D.D.C. 2008) ). And, motions for reconsideration are not vehicles for either reasserting arguments previously raised and rejected by the court or presenting arguments that should have been raised previously with the court. See Estate of Gaither ex rel. Gaither v. District of Columbia, 771 F.Supp.2d 5, 10 & n.4 (D.D.C. 2011).

III. ANALYSIS

Boston Heart urges the Court to reconsider its conclusion "that Boston Heart has an obligation to establish that the

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296 F. Supp. 3d 155, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bos-heart-diagnostics-corp-cadc-2017.