Feds charge 455 in health care fraud, including two from Jersey Shore

A sweeping U.S. Department of Justice action charged 455 people in a health care fraud crackdown that the government says involved more than $6.5 billion in false claims and opioid prescription abuse. The two-week roundup, announced Tuesday, June 23, included 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units and was described by the DOJ as the largest in the department’s history. Investigators said the conduct harmed patients, including some who died. The sweep also targeted 90 doctors and other licensed providers, along with people outside the United States. International arrests included two people in Estonia, one in the Philippines accused of a $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme, and another in Kyrenia, Cyprus charged in a $3.7 billion durable medical equipment case.