Justice Department Makes Biggest Arrest Ever for Medicare Fraud

On February 17, U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, announced that a joint Department of Justice and Health and Human Services Medicare fraud strike task force made its largest arrest ever in connection with a false billing investigation.  In total, 111 individuals were arrested and 16 search warrants were executed across the country in connection with the investigation.  Those arrested include physicians, nurses, health care executive and others.  The criminal scheme is believed to be worth more than $225 million in false billings.  The arrests concerning fraudulent billing in a wide array of health services including, home health care, physical and occupational therapy, nerve conduction tests and durable medical equipment.  The false claims concerned medical unnecessary treatments and treatment never provided.  In some cases, the government charged that Medicare beneficiaries were paid kickbacks in return for providing beneficiary information to providers to submit false claims.

The article may be found here: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/February/11-ag-202.html