Department of Justice Increases Focus on COVID-19 Fraud

In March 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which provided $2.2 trillion in economic relief.  The Act was designed to quickly get money to millions of Americans suffering from the pandemic.  Unfortunately, this relief provided ample opportunity for fraud.  As the COVID pandemic begins to ease, the Department of …

Launch of the Criminal Division’s In-House Health Care Data Analytics Team

In its “2017 Year in Review” (https://www.justice.gov/criminal- fraud/file/1026996/download), the Fraud Section in the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice announced the launch of its Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. While the use of data analytics is not new to the Department of Health and Human Services and civil enforcement section of …

The Trump Administration Proposes a Budget Increase to Fight Healthcare Fraud

The Trump administration proposed a budget increase of 19 million to aid in the fight against health care fraud. This showcases the continued (and heightened) importance of anti-fraud programs, especially compared to the suggested $18 billion in cuts to other health-care related programs. If approved by Congress, the budget increase will result in an increase …

Prescription for Fraud: Government Enforcement Activities in Compounding Pharmacies

On October 18, 2017, a Mississippi physician was charged with health care fraud for writing prescriptions for medically unnecessary compounded medications. This is the latest – though certainly not the last – example of the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat fraud within the TRICARE program. From California to Florida, federal prosecutors have charged physicians, …