MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A coordinated Dept. of Justice effort with operations in 7 cities filed charges against 91 healthcare workers accused of falsely billing Medicare for a collective total surpassing $429 million, one of the largest take-downs in agency history.
The allegations include $230 million in home healthcare fraud, more than $100 million in mental healthcare fraud, more than $49 million in ambulance transportation fraud and millions more in other frauds, according to a DoJ press release.
"Today’s enforcement actions reveal an alarming and unacceptable trend of individuals attempting to exploit federal health care programs to steal billions in taxpayer dollars for personal gain," Attorney General Holder said in prepared remarks. "Such activities not only siphon precious taxpayer resources, drive up healthcare costs, and jeopardize the strength of the Medicare program – they also disproportionately victimize the most vulnerable members of society, including elderly, disabled and impoverished Americans."
Charges against the accused include conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, violations of the anti-kickback statutes and money laundering associated with a variety of alleged fraud schemes for various medical treatments and services.
Those accused include health practitioners in Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Brooklyn and Baton Rouge and Chicago.
"Today’s coordinated actions represent one of the largest Medicare fraud take-downs in Dept. of Justice history, as measured by the amount of alleged fraudulent billings," Assistant Attorney General Breuer said in an agency statement. "We have made it one of the department’s missions to hold accountable those who abuse the Medicare program for personal profit. And there are Medicare fraudsters in prisons across the country – some who will be there for decades – who can attest to our determination, and our effectiveness."
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