Grants
Financial support for accountability work — legal action, storytelling, and advocacy.
Total Grant Funding Available
$25,000
3 grants available
Important
- SomaliScan does not provide legal advice or evaluate case merit
- Grant decisions are based on eligibility verification only
- Limited funds — awarded to first eligible applicants
- U.S. residents only
Provider Accountability Grant
1 AVAILABLELegal cost assistance for legitimate service providers pursuing competitive injury claims against fraudulent operators who harmed their business.
$20,000
Eligibility
- Licensed provider in childcare, HCBS, autism care, senior care, PCA, or related Medicaid-funded services
- Already retained an attorney OR already filed a case (not pre-litigation funding)
- Claim involves competitive harm from providers charged, indicted, or convicted of fraud
- Can provide documentation: signed retainer agreement, court filing, or proof of case initiation
Required to Apply
- Proof of case initiation (retainer agreement or court filing)
- Provider license information
- Brief description of competitive harm suffered
Submit via tip form with "ACCOUNTABILITY GRANT" in your message. See legal information below.
Beneficiary Storytelling Grant
2 AVAILABLEFunding for individuals whose benefits were cut, denied, or delayed to share their story publicly and advocate for stronger fraud prevention and program accountability.
$2,500
Eligibility
- Personally experienced benefit reduction, denial, or delay (childcare subsidies, Medicaid, SNAP, etc.)
- Willing to have your story published (name can be anonymized if needed)
- Able to provide basic documentation of benefit loss (denial letter, cut-off notice, etc.)
- Available for a 30-60 minute recorded interview OR willing to write a first-person account
- U.S. resident who received benefits from a state or federal program
Required to Apply
- Recorded video/audio interview (30-60 min) OR written account (1,500+ words)
- Documentation showing benefit denial/reduction (redacted for privacy as needed)
- Signed release allowing publication (anonymized version available)
- Brief timeline of events
Submit via tip form with "STORYTELLING GRANT" in your message.
Legal Information for Providers
Important Legal Disclaimers
This Is Not Legal Advice
This page provides general educational information only. Nothing here constitutes legal advice, creates an attorney-client relationship, or should be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently.
No Encouragement to Sue
This page should not be construed as encouragement or solicitation to file lawsuits. Whether you have a viable legal claim depends on facts specific to your situation. Many factors affect whether litigation is advisable, including costs, time, likelihood of success, and collectability. Most civil cases do not result in recovery for the plaintiff.
Conflicts of Interest Notice
SomaliScan publishes information about providers based on public records. This information is not verified and should not be used as evidence without independent verification from official government sources. If you pursue litigation involving entities listed on this site, you may be asked about your use of this site during discovery.
What is Competitive Injury?
Competitive injury occurs when a business suffers economic harm because a competitor gained an unfair advantage through unlawful conduct. In the context of Medicaid fraud, legitimate service providers may have been harmed when fraudulent operators:
- Received grants, subsidies, reimbursements, or contracts that would otherwise have been available to legitimate providers
- Undercut legitimate providers' pricing by subsidizing operations with fraudulently obtained funds
- Saturated markets with phantom capacity, depressing enrollment at real facilities
- Created artificial competition that forced legitimate providers to reduce services or close
- Damaged the reputation of entire industries, reducing client/patient trust in legitimate providers
Potential Legal Theories
The following legal theories may be available depending on jurisdiction and specific facts. Each has significant requirements and limitations. Consult an attorney before pursuing any claim.
Unfair Competition
State Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Acts and similar laws prohibit unfair competitive practices. Requires showing direct competitive harm, not just that fraud existed.
Tortious Interference with Business
Applies when a third party intentionally interferes with existing or prospective business relationships. Requires showing the fraudster specifically interfered with your relationships, not just that they competed in the same market.
Civil RICO (18 U.S.C. § 1964)
For injuries caused by patterns of racketeering activity. Successful plaintiffs may recover treble damages and attorney's fees, but the burden of proof is extremely high.
State False Claims Act (Qui Tam)
State False Claims Acts allow private parties to file suit on behalf of the government. Has specific procedural requirements including filing under seal. Primarily focused on recovering funds for the government, not compensating injured competitors.
Potential Damages
Recovery depends on proving causation between the fraud and your specific losses.
Lost Profits
Revenue you would have earned absent the fraudulent competition. Requires showing specific clients or contracts were diverted to the fraudulent provider.
Denied Grants/Subsidies
If you applied for and were denied funding that was instead awarded to a fraudulent provider.
Business Closure Damages
If fraud-driven competition contributed to closure or significant downsizing.
Attorney's Fees
Certain statutes provide for fee-shifting. Many attorneys take competitive injury cases on contingency.
Documenting Your Situation
If you believe your business was harmed, preserve the following for consultation with an attorney:
Financial Records
Tax returns, P&L statements, enrollment/client records showing changes
Grant/Contract Applications
Applications denied, with documentation of who received awards instead
Market Information
Names of providers in your area who have been charged or are under investigation
Timeline
When your business began declining, correlated with when fraudulent providers entered your market
Important Considerations
Statute of Limitations
Most claims have filing deadlines (often 2-6 years). Consult an attorney promptly.
Collectability
Many defendants may be judgment-proof. Winning a judgment does not guarantee collecting money.
Costs and Time
Litigation is expensive. Federal cases can take 2-5 years. Consider whether recovery justifies the investment.
What SomaliScan Does NOT Do
- ✕Provide legal advice or evaluate the merit of potential claims
- ✕Refer cases to attorneys or receive referral fees
- ✕Have any financial stake in litigation outcomes
- ✕Verify the accuracy of public records displayed on this site