The American Health Care Association and three other healthcare organizations want the Supreme Court to apply strict standards in determining who is an “original source” in whistleblower lawsuits, according to a report from the Bureau of National Affairs.

The organizations, which filed a friend of the court petition, noted that False Claims Act lawsuits have multiplied in the past 20 years, especially in healthcare. They want to ensure that easily applicable rules are in place so that the cases are based on credible allegations of fraud and are not “parasitic” in nature.

A “clear, consistent, and strict ‘original source’ rule” when used with gate keeping mechanisms, gives courts and defendants a powerful tool to identify and ward off illegitimate lawsuits, according to the groups’ brief.

A copy of the brief is available at .