The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged 345 people, including doctors, nurses, and a variety of medical professionals allegedly involved in more than $6 billion in healthcare fraud. The DOJ’s law enforcement action spanned 51 federal jurisdictions.
It is considered the largest takedown of healthcare fraud in the history of the department.
According to the Justice Department, the 345 defendants were responsible for submitting false and fraudulent claims that cost more than $6 billion to the federal health care programs and private insurers.
The submitted false and fraudulent claims included $4.5 billion related to telemedicine or telehealth, $1.5 billion connected to substance abuse treatment facilities or “sober homes,” and over $806 million linked to other forms of healthcare fraud.
Court documents showed that 86 defendants were telehealth executives who allegedly paid doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals to order unnecessary large amounts of durable medical equipment, genetic and other diagnostic tests, and pain medications.
