Federal agents charge 94 Medicare fraud suspects in 5 cities
Federal authorities said 36 people, including several doctors and nurses, have been arrested in an attempt to clamp down the largest Medicare fraud by Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Ninety-four Suspects from five major U.S. cities are charged with the scam to swindle $251 million from Medicare by filing false claims.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force was created three years ago in a joint effort by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The team’s raid on Friday involved 360 agents according to the announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made at a health care fraud prevention summit in Miami.
"Today's arrests send a strong message that attempts to defraud Medicare will not be tolerated," said Sebelius.
Of the defendants charged with the scam, 33 suspects were indicted from Miami, the city officials call ground zero for Medicare fraud. Other defendant arrested are from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Detroit, Michigan, and the Brooklyn borough of New York.
Charges include filing phony claims for HIV therapy and medical equipment services, home health care, physical therapy and durable medical equipment.
Since 2007 when the strike force was launched, more than 720 indictments were made for scams totaling $1.6 billion.
"The federal government is working aggressively -- and collaboratively -- to pursue health care criminals around the country and to bring these offenders to justice," said Holder.