Medicare Fraud Settlements Up 56% in FY 2010

DOJ/HHS-led Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations have expanded from South Florida and Los Angeles into nine healthcare fraud hot spots including Houston; Detroit; Brooklyn; Baton Rouge, LA; Tampa, FL; Chicago and Dallas. Since their inception in 2007, Strike Force operations have charged more than 1,000 defendants for Medicare fraud involving more than $2.3 billion in claims, DOJ/HHS said.

The Affordable Care Act earmarks $350 million to combat healthcare fraud over the next 10 years through the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Account. The law toughens sentencing, enhances screenings and enrollment requirements, encourages increased data sharing across government, expands overpayment recovery efforts, and provides greater oversight of private insurance abuses, DOJ/HHS said.