(NewsNation) — As of mid-2024, the Justice Division says it has charged practically 200 individuals allegedly concerned in a few half-dozen medical fraud schemes involving potential losses of practically $three billion. Of these charged, 76 are docs, nurses and different well being care professionals.
“For those who revenue from the unlawful distribution of managed substances, you may be held accountable,” Lawyer Normal Merrick B. Garland mentioned in a Justice Division information launch. “The Division of Justice will deliver to justice criminals who defraud People, steal from taxpayer-funded applications, and put individuals in hurt’s manner for revenue.”
The alleged legal exercise occurred in 32 areas across the nation and concerned all kinds of frauds.
4 individuals in Arizona are accused of submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for $900 million for amniotic wound grafts. The costly grafts got to individuals who didn’t want them, to terminally ailing sufferers and to some sufferers with out the data of their docs.
The CEO and president of a San Francisco clinic have been arrested on prices of prescribing and promoting about 1.5 million Adderall drugs and different stimulants over the Web.
The homeowners of three wholesale pharmaceutical distributors are accused of promoting adulterated and mislabeled HIV medicines, usually refilling used treatment bottles with counterfeit medicines or one thing else completely. The Justice Division says the scheme generated about $90 million.
A number of individuals in Florida and Arizona are accused of creating false and fraudulent claims on behalf of sufferers searching for remedy for drug or alcohol habit. One individual allegedly paid bribes to refer homeless individuals to remedy that was by no means supplied to them however was billed to Medicaid.
A complete of 36 individuals are dealing with prices for allegedly submitting greater than $1 billion in false claims for telemedicine therapies. In a single case, a health care provider submitted claims based mostly on distant visits to sufferers that lasted not more than 30 seconds.
Many different instances contain allegations of false billing, prescribing pointless opioids, ordering assessments that have been by no means carried out, and coverings that have been by no means supplied.
“Well being care fraud victimizes sufferers, endangers the well being of weak individuals, and plunders well being care applications,” mentioned FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In complete, the federal government has filed legal prices in opposition to 193 individuals in 32 federal districts for schemes that hoped to steal about $2.75 billion, and really stole $1.6 billion. The federal government additionally seized greater than $231 million in money, autos, gold and different property.