The US Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General, working in partnership with state and federal law enforcement authorities, has announced a sweeping healthcare fraud takedown. The takedown was the largest in history in terms of numbers of defendants charged and dollars fraudulently billed. According to a press release by HHS, over 400 individuals in 41 federal districts were charged for their alleged participation in fraudulent billing that totaled more than $1.3 billion.
“Healthcare fraud is not only a criminal act that costs billions of taxpayer dollars – it is an affront to all Americans who rely on our national healthcare programs for access to critical healthcare services and a violation of trust”, notes DHHS Secretary Tom Price. Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson agrees. “Health care fraud is a reprehensible crime. It not only represents a theft from taxpayers who fund these vital programs, but impacts the millions of Americans who rely on Medicare and Medicaid. In the worst fraud cases, greed overpowers care, putting patients’ health at risk”
U. S. COPD Coalition Chair Sam Giordano, MBA, RRT hopes the news of this massive fraud bust will encourage others to report suspected cases of healthcare fraud. “Perhaps it will embolden more to file complaints. Please call the hotline if you have information concerning fraud. It is everybody’s business.”
You can call the OIG’s Fraud Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or you can report the fraud online.
See the one page infographic here: 2017 Healthcare Takedown