A qui tam action is a legal action made by an individual against a federal contractor under the False Claims Act which alleges fraud against the government. In the context of HIPAA violation reporting, a member of a Covered Entity´s workforce - or a patient – can bring an action against a Medicare or Medicaid Covered Entity that fails to comply with HIPAA. While an extreme option for reporting HIPAA violations, plaintiffs receive a percentage of any fine issued against the Covered Entity.