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Federal
Task
Force
move
into
metro
Detroit,
bust 22
residents
for
Medicare
fraud
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) –
Twenty-two
Detroit-area
residents
were
charged
today
for
their
roles in
psychotherapy,
home
health
care and
infusion
therapy
schemes
to
submit
more
than $58
million
in false
billing
to
Medicare,
announced
the
Departments
of
Justice
and
Health
and
Human
Services.
Including
these
charges,
Medicare
Fraud
Strike
Force
operations
in
Detroit
have
charged
a total
of 164
individuals
in cases
involving
approximately
$244
million
in
fraudulent
billings
to
Medicare.
The
charges
in
Detroit
are part
of a
nationwide
takedown
by
Medicare
Fraud
Strike
Force
operations
in seven
cities
that led
to
charges
against
107
individuals
for
their
alleged
participation
in
schemes
to
collectively
submit
more
than
$452
million
in
fraudulent
claims
to
Medicare.
This
takedown
involved
the
highest
amount
of false
Medicare
billing
in a
single
takedown
in
Strike
Force
history.
“The
results
we are
announcing
today
are at
the
heart of
an
Administration-wide
commitment
to
protecting
American
taxpayers
from
health
care
fraud,
which
can
drive up
costs
and
threaten
the
strength
and
integrity
of our
health
care
system,”
said
Attorney
General
Eric
Holder.
“We are
determined
to bring
to
justice
those
who
violate
our laws
and
defraud
the
Medicare
program
for
personal
gain. As
today’s
takedown
reflects,
our
ongoing
fight
against
health
care
fraud
has
never
been
more
coordinated
and
effective.”
United
States
Attorney
for the
Eastern
District
of
Michigan
Barbara
L.
McQuade
stated,
“A
disturbing
new
trend we
are
seeing
is the
exploitation
of
adults
in
foster
care.
Providers
bill
Medicare
for home
health
and
psychotherapy
services
for
disabled
adults
that are
unnecessary
or not
provided.”
“Those
who seek
to steal
from
Medicare
and
exploit
the
system
will be
vigorously
pursued
and
brought
to
justice,”
stated
Special
Agent in
Charge
of the
FBI’s
Detroit
Division
Andrew
G.
Arena.
“These
arrests
are the
result
of a
tremendous
amount
of hard
work by
FBI and
HHS-OIG
agents.”
“Today’s
indictments
and
arrests
in the
areas of
home
health
care,
psychotherapy,
or
infusion
therapy
fraud
demonstrate
that
HHS-OIG
agents
will
untangle
even the
most
complex
fraud
schemes
and hold
those
responsible
accountable
for
their
criminal
actions,”
said
Lamont
Pugh
III,
Special
Agent in
Charge
of the
Department
of
Health &
Human
Services
Office
of
Inspector
General
for the
Chicago
Region,
which
includes
Detroit.
“Through
collaboration
with our
law
enforcement
partners,
HHS-OIG
will
bring to
justice
those
who
waste
Medicare’s
limited
resources
and
prevent
the most
vulnerable
members
of our
society
from
receiving
vital
health
care
services.”
Court
documents
unsealed
today in
the
Eastern
District
of
Michigan
charge
defendants
including
owners
and
operators
of
companies,
social
workers,
office
employees,
and
patient
recruiters
with
submitting
fraudulent
claims
for
services
that
were
never
rendered.
Eighteen
of the
defendants
were
either
arrested
this
morning
or will
be self
surrendering
this
week and
four
defendants
remain
at
large.
In
addition,
law
enforcement
agents
today
executed
search
warrants
at 9
locations
and
seizure
warrants
of 14
bank
accounts
related
to the
alleged
fraud
schemes.
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