Federal prosecutors have made another dent in statewide insurance fraud. The total number of cases? 13. The total number of defendants? 22. The total amount of fraudulent bills alleged? $161 million.
Those who were charged included five physicians, as well as a psychiatrist, pharmacist and occupational therapist. Although not all of the cases were related, they were announced as a group on Wednesday by the Department of Justice.
These California arrests were part of a larger, nationwide sweep. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that all told, charges were filed against 301 people and totaled $900 million in false insurance billings.
US attorney Eileen M. Decker stated, “The entire Justice Department and our law enforcement partners are committed and determined to doing everything it takes to ensure the health care system works for the American public – and not those, whether health care providers or others, who seek to abuse the system.”
