The federal government brought charges against 107 people for alleged Medicare fraud schemes totaling approximately $452 million Wednesday.
Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius say the potential fraud is the highest amount of false billings ever found by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.
Sebelius said the health reform law aided the departments in stopping fraudulent charges. “Today’s actions are another example of how the Affordable Care Act is helping the Obama Administration fight fraud and strengthen the Medicare program,” Sebelius said in a statement.
Defendants are accused of variety of crimes, including treating Medicare patients for procedures that were not medically necessary or not provided, and getting paid kick-backs for providing Medicare enrollee information used for false billing.
More than half of the defendants—59—are in Miami, for a total of $137 million in false billings. Individuals from Baton Rouge, La.; Houston; Los Angeles; Detroit; and Tampa, Fla., were also charged.
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