With the opioid crisis still in full swing (and researchers reporting on Wednesday 70,000 opioid-related deaths that were not added to official statistics over the past 20 years) The Department of Justice announced on Thursday the conclusion of a year-long crackdown on opioid overprescribers that led to the indictment of more than 600 people – including 76 doctors – on health-care fraud charges. All told, the DOJ found that the crimes resulted in more than $2 billion in losses for Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, as well as private insurers.
Medical professionals were also charged with contributing to the country’s opioid epidemic by unlawfully distributing millions of opioid pills.
“The perpetrators really are despicable and greedy people,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said at a press conference.
According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the investigation represents the biggest health-care fraud case the DOJ has ever undertaken.
This is the most doctors, the most medical personnel, and the most fraud that the Department of Justice has ever taken on in any single law enforcement action. This is the most defendants we’ve ever charged with health care fraud. It’s also the most opioid-related fraud defendants we’ve ever charged in a single enforcement action. – READ MORE
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