Federal prosecutors recently announced that they’d charged 455 defendants in connection with more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraud involving Medicare, Medicaid, and other public healthcare programs.
The news serves as a vivid reminder of just how much taxpayer money can disappear when oversight falls short.
According to the Justice Department, the defendants include 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals. Prosecutors also announced the largest Medicaid fraud operation in the department’s history, charging 295 defendants with submitting false claims totaling $518 million.
