Question

Largest Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action in Department of Justice History

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, MD, announced today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, involving 412 charged defendants across 41 federal districts, including 115 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $1.3 billion in false billings. Of those charged, over 120 defendants, including doctors, were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opiodes and other dangerous narcotics. Thirty state Medicaid Fraud Control Units also participated in today's arrests. In addition, HHS has initiated suspension actions against 295 providers, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

Source: Department of Justice, Justice News, July 13, 2017

Question: Provide a brief comment stating why you think this fraud case is so unique. Think not only in terms of financial impact but also impact on patient care.

Answer 1

Answer: This fraud consists Medicare Fraud Strike Force, involving 412 charged defendants across 41 federal districts, including 115 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $1.3 billion in false billings. Of those charged, over 120 defendants, including doctors, were charged for their roles inprescribing and distributing opiodes and other dangerous narcotics.

These things not only have financial issues but the trauma and the problem faced by the patient is one of the major loss. The Patients depends on the Healthcare professionals, they trust them for the treatment. It is a loss of the patient as prescribing opioids as many people don't know about the side effects or the worse part of opioids. Most of the patient becomes addicted to these kind of drugs.