U.S. charges 111 in largest Medicare fraud crackdown
Baku, February 18 (AZERTAC). The U.S. government on Thursday charged 111 doctors, nurses and other defendants with Medicare crime schemes that exceeded $225 million in false billings, the largest health care fraud crackdown so far.
About 45 million elderly and disabled Americans are enrolled in taxpayer-funded Medicare plans, which have come under fire from critics who say the government pays too much to the companies running them and that they are subject to fraud.
In addition to arrests, law enforcement agents also executed 16 search warrants.
The defendants were charged various crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, false claims, kickbacks and money laundering, administration officials said.
They said the alleged schemes involved various medical treatments, tests and services, such as home health care, physical and occupational therapy and medical equipment.
"Although today marks a critical step forward in combating and deterring illegal activity, our work is far from over," Holder said. Fraud has accounted for as much as an estimated $60 billion a year in the Medicare program.
A top FBI official, Shawn Henry, said 2,600 health care fraud cases were under investigation and that organized crime groups have been increasingly linked to the alleged schemes.
Sebelius said $4 billion was recovered last year, and the government`s Medicare Fraud Strike Force was recently expanded to nine cities, with the addition of Dallas and Chicago.
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