Florida & Georgia Health Care Fraud Law Enforcement Action Results in Charges against 67 Individuals
The Justice Department announced today a significant health care fraud enforcement operation across Florida and Georgia, involving charges against a total of 67 individuals across four federal districts for their alleged involvement in various schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The conduct allegedly resulted in more than $160 million in fraudulent billings. Those charged included physicians as well as other medical and business professionals. In addition, in the state of Florida, 16 defendants, including one licensed mental health professionals, have been charged with defrauding the Medicaid program out of over $1.2 million. Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigated these cases.
The charges announced today aggressively target schemes alleged to have billed Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies for medically unnecessary services, such as home health, prescriptions drugs and durable medical equipment.
Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in conjunction with its Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF) partners, a partnership among the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and U.S. Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). In addition, the operation includes the participation of various other federal law enforcement agencies and state MFCUs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center for Program Integrity (CMS/CPI) also announced today that all appropriate administrative actions would be taken based on these charges.
“The defendants charged today allegedly bilked the American people to the tune of millions in fraudulent billings,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “All Americans should stand with the Department as we fight the fight against these unscrupulous schemes in Florida, Georgia, and across the country.”
Read more: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-and-georgia-health-care-fraud-law-enforcement-action-results-charges-against-67