Prosecutions for Health Care Fraud Up 2% Since Launch of Effort in 2007
The number of people charged with insurance fraud has increased by 2% since the launch of federal "strike forces" in 2007 to address Medicare fraud, according to records released on Thursday by the Department of Justice, USA Today reports.
The data were unveiled during a meeting of fraud experts, which was organized by the White House to develop new and effective ways to resolve the problem.
According to the data, 803 people were charged with defrauding health insurers in the fiscal year that ended in September 2009.
Most of the cases involved attempts to defraud Medicare, which U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said costs the program about $60 billion annually.
According to USA Today, the effort to stop Medicare fraud "comes at a critical time" as the White House and Congress seek to finance a part of health reform efforts with the savings (Heath, USA Today, 1/28).
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