On May 2, 2012, the US. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that its combined law enforcement agencies, as part of the Medicare Fraud Strikeforce, rounded up 107 suspects for fraudulent Medicare billing. These 107 suspects are responsible for $452 million dollars of billing in multiple areas of health care including mental health services, and durable medical equipment and supplies. More than 500 law enforcement agents were involved in the fraud crackdown from FBI, HHS-Office of Inspector General (OIG) and multiple state Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Physicians, nurses, suppliers and owners were included in the list of person that were arrested in the raids. The seven cities where suspects were arrested were included Miami, detroit, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Tampa and Baton Rouge.
These significant fraud enforcement activities represent the new “normal” as Federal and State government agencies combine resources and use very sophisticated data analytics tools aimed at finding and fighting Medicare fraud.
More detailed information is available at the Office of the Inspector General’s website at www.oig.hhs.gov and you can find a press release on the Department of Justice Website here —> DOJ Pres Release.
For more information on the Medicare Strike Force or regulatory enforcement in general, please feel free to contact Janet Feldkamp or any member of our health care practice group.
Benesch
Ari J. Markenson, JD, MPH
Janet K. Feldkamp RN BSN LNHA CHC JD
Robert W. Markette, Jr. CHC
W. Clifford Mull
Frank W. Carsonie
Daniel J. O'Brien
Benjamin J. Parsons
Meredith L. Rosenbeck
Alan E. Schabes
