The Trump administration has charged a record 455 people with Medicare and Medicaid fraud — uncovering $6.5 billion in bogus claims across 45 states. Here’s what the schemes looked like, and what the government seized.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department brought the charges over the past two weeks, targeting billing schemes that included services billed for dead patients, predatory skin graft procedures on elderly nursing home residents and a cardiovascular testing company that collected $90 million from the government while delivering dangerously negligent care.
“This is just the beginning. Fraudsters can no longer rip off American taxpayers,” Mr. Blanche said.
Authorities seized luxury items purchased with fraud proceeds, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a half-million-dollar Ferrari and an $865,000 necklace. The crackdown has also forced the closure of 800 hospice facilities in the Los Angeles area.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the government overhauled its fraud detection system, replacing a “pay first, chase later” approach with AI-powered analytics designed to block fraudulent payments before they go out the door.
“That approach, of course, failed taxpayers. We are ending it,” Mr. Kennedy said.
Read more:
• Trump task force seizes Ferraris and fine jewelry in $6.5 billion healthcare fraud takedown
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