$430 Million False Billing Medicare Fraud, 91 People Charged
$430 Million False Billing Medicare Fraud, 91 People Charged
Ninety-one people from seven US cites have been charged with $430 million’s worth of Medicare fraud, the Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder and Health announced today.
People being charged include nurses, doctors and other certified health care professionals. They are accused of false billing and being involved in fraudulent schemes.
Attorney General Holder said:
“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. Such activities not only siphon precious taxpayer resources, drive up health care 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
.”
HHS Secretary Sebelius said:
“Today’s arrests put criminals on notice that we are cracking down hard on people who want to steal from Medicare. The health care law gives us new tools to better fight fraud and make Medicare stronger. In addition to the arrests made today, HHS used new authority from the health care law to stop future payments to many of the health care providers suspected of fraud, saving Medicare resources and taxpayer dollars from being lost to fraud in the first place.”
As indictments were unsealed across the country, dozens of people either turned themselves in or surrendered. Indictments (charges) included over $230 million in home health care fraud, about $100 million in mental health care fraud, and over $49 million in ambulance fraud - there were also other charges involving millions of dollars in other frauds.