What term describes the private plaintiffs who initiate qui tam actions?

The term that describes private plaintiffs who initiate qui tam actions is "relators." In the context of healthcare law, particularly under the False Claims Act, relators are individuals, often employees or insiders with knowledge of wrongdoing, who bring forth claims on behalf of the government against those who are committing fraud, especially regarding healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

The relator, typically a whistleblower, assists the government in recovering funds that may have been fraudulently obtained by healthcare providers or other entities. By providing critical information and evidence, relators play a significant role in exposing and combating fraud in healthcare, and they may receive a portion of the recovered funds as a reward.

While whistle-blowers do share some similarities with relators, particularly in terms of reporting unethical practices, the specific legal designation for someone who initiates a qui tam lawsuit is "relator." Other terms such as respondents and complainants refer to different roles and actions within legal proceedings that do not apply to those who bring forth qui tam actions. Respondents are typically those who respond to a legal action, while complainants generally refer to individuals who lodge a formal complaint but are not necessarily involved in a qui tam case.