$4 Billion in Taxpayer Dollars Recovered

Posted by Tracy Russo

The following is posted on behalf of Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Justice, and Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Department of Health and Human Services.

 The Obama Administration has been aggressive in its fraud-fighting efforts, and it is paying off.  Last year resulted in the largest annual recovery of Medicare and Medicaid dollars in U.S. history.  More than $4 billion stolen from federal health care programs was recovered in Fiscal Year 2010 and returned to the Medicare Health Insurance Trust Fund, the Treasury, and other government programs.

 Through the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team, or HEAT, and Medicare Fraud Strike Force prosecution teams, we are making it clear to wrong-doers that fraud will no longer pay.  For example, in fiscal year 2010, 140 indictments involving charges were filed against 284 defendants who collectively billed the Medicare program more than $590 million.  And 146 defendants were sentenced for an average of more than 40 months.

 And we are working to get support from those that Medicare fraud affects the most – seniors and taxpayers.

 Today, HHS is also announcing new rules and resources to help stop health care fraud.  Through the Affordable Care Act, we are able to do less “paying-and-chasing” of health care claims and are better able to stop fraud from occurring in the first place, preventing the loss of taxpayer dollars for millions of Americans.

 For more information on the Obama Administration’s efforts to fight Medicare fraud, visit StopMedicareFraud.gov.