More than 450 people are accused of defrauding the health sector of $6.5 billion
The Department of Justice intends to punish those responsible for alleged fraud in the health sector exceeding $6.5 billion dollars
As part of the efforts carried out by the Trump administration to find those responsible for an alleged orchestrated fraud in the health sector, the amount of which exceeds $6.5 billion, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against more than 450 people.
Among the alleged fraudsters are 90 medical professionals accused of basing their scam on demanding government support under the pretext of employing them in different schemes such as patient wound care, palliative care, improvements to day centers for adults and even the distribution of opioids.
During a press conference, Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health, said he was surprised by the discovery that came to light as a result of an investigation by the DOJ.
"The allegations in these cases are particularly disturbing. Some defendants allegedly ordered medically unnecessary tests. Others prescribed products that patients did not need. Some allegedly encouraged opioid addiction to increase their own income. In certain cases, patients allegedly died, believing they were receiving legitimate medical care from providers who only saw them as a source of income," he said.
To detect the alleged million-dollar fraud, DOJ officials say they have filed cases in 56 federal districts of 45 states and territories belonging to the United States, where they assure that state authorities, as well as local authorities, cooperated fully with the objective of making it clear that the resources allocated from the federal government had actually been directed to where they had been specified.
Todd Blanche, acting attorney general, made the commitment to continue with the investigations, as there are indications pointing to more suspects of having participated in the diversion of federal resources by putting shortcomings in the health sector.
"This is just the beginning. Fraudsters will no longer be able to deceive American taxpayers. If they try to harm or defraud Americans, we will find them, seize their assets and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," he stressed.
To assimilate what was detected by the authorities, 11 defendants are mentioned, one of them a business executive and eight medical professionals, in six different districts, all submitting fraudulent claims worth billions of dollars related to skin substitutes.