The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged over 320 people in one of the biggest healthcare fraud cases in U.S. history. The fraud involved more than $14.5 billion. Among those charged are many medical workers, including 25 doctors. These people are accused of fake billing and illegal payments.
The DOJ also took $245 million in cash, luxury items, and other property from the suspects. Officials said these frauds caused about $2.9 billion in losses to government healthcare programs.
Leaders of the operation explained that some foreign owners created fake medical supply companies to file false Medicare claims. They used the identities of more than one million Americans without their permission.
People from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Pakistan were charged after the investigations. Nearly 20 people were charged in a big $10 billion scam involving fake claims for urinary catheters.
Matthew Galeotti, head of the DOJ Criminal Division, said, “These criminals didn’t just steal someone else’s money. They stole from you.”
He added, “Every fake claim, every false bill, every illegal payment means money taken from the pockets of hardworking American taxpayers who support these important programs.”
Arrests were made in Estonia, at U.S. airports, and on the U.S.-Mexico border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said, “This isn’t done by small-time criminals.” He added, “These are organized groups trying to harm America.”
