Federal authorities have charged 107 people over Medicare fraud. The multistate operation allegedly involved over $452 million in billing that was false said Washington officials. Federal law enforcement officials charged doctors, nurses as well as other medical professionals. They were charged with billing Medicare for procedures that were unnecessary and paying kickbacks in order to acquire information on patients to submit fraudulent bills.
The indictments followed investigations in seven cities in the U.S. including Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Baton Rouge and Houston. The officials also used authority received under the new health care law to block further payments of over 50 health care providers who have been suspected of fraud.
Amongst those charged are 59 in Miami accused of taking over $137 million from the Medicare program through false billings for mental health, home health and other services. In Baton Rouge, seven people were accused of allegedly making over $225 million in false claims via two mental health community centers, which amounted to nearly 50% of the billings that were deemed fraudulent.
This operation was the fourth one to take place over the last two years. Officials said health care providers up and down the chain were involved, from doctors and nurses to clinical social workers and office managers.
The case in Baton Rouge is the largest prosecution case ever of a mental health care community center. The defendants in Baton Rouge allegedly recruited patients who were mentally ill, drug addicts and elderly from homeless shelters and nursing homes to submit, on their behalf, false claims.
