The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced criminal charges against 94 people relating to Medicare and Medicaid fraud which is reportedly the largest health care fraud sting in U.S. history, according to an article on SFgate.com. The officials said the investigation and charges span seven states and involve more than $251 million in false Medicare and Medicaid claims.
Medicare or Medicaid fraud typically involves a doctor or other health care provider seeking reimbursement through the government program for medical supplies or medical treatment that was either unnecessary or never provided to a patient. In these recent cases, the subjects of the investigation are suspected of submitting false claims for physical and occupational therapy, home health care and other treatments. The federal government has recently discussed an increased focus on these cases and created a task force to investigate Medicare/Medicaid fraud in various states. Florida is reported to be one of the prime focuses of the task force. The government claims that health care fraud costs the country billions of dollars each year.