Walter Eisner • Wed, December 3rd, 2014
Fighting health care fraud paid off to the tune of $2.3 billion for the feds over the last year.
$5.69 Billion Jackpot
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on November 20, 2014 that for its previous fiscal year it recovered that amount in cases involving false claims against federal health care programs like Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. Accounting for all fraud cases, the department brought in a whopping $5.69 billion.
Record Recoveries
Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery said, “In the past three years, we have achieved the three largest annual recoveries ever recorded under the statute. This sustained success demonstrates that these figures result not only from large individual matters, but from a continuous commitment year after year to pursue those who defraud taxpayers and to remain vigilant in identifying those who would unlawfully obtain money from the federal fisc.”
While the $2.3 billion for health care fraud was big and marks the fifth straight year of over $2 billion in recoveries, health care crooks were pikers compared to the really big boys on Wall Street who got socked for $3.1 billion for false claims for federally insured mortgages and loans.
