DOJ: It's the Biggest Takedown of Health Care Scams Ever

State and federal prosecutors have charged more than 320 people and uncovered nearly $15 million in false claims in what they described Monday as the largest coordinated takedown of health care fraud schemes in Justice Department history. Law enforcement reported seizing more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets, the AP reports. Prosecutors warned of a growing push by transnational criminal networks to exploit the US health care system. As part of the crackdown, officials identified perpetrators based in places including Russia, Eastern Europe, and Pakistan.

"These criminals didn't just steal someone else's money. They stole from you," Matthew Galeotti, who leads the Justice Department's criminal division, told reporters on Monday. "Every fraudulent claim, every fake billing, every kickback scheme represents money taken directly from the pockets of American taxpayers who fund these essential programs through their hard work and sacrifice." The reported $14.6 billion in fraud is more than twice the previous record in the Justice Department's annual health-care fraud crackdown. It includes nearly 190 federal cases and more than 90 state cases that have been charged or unsealed since June 9. Nearly 100 licensed medical professionals were charged, including 25 doctors, and the government reported $2.9 billion in actual losses.

Among the cases is a $10 billion urinary catheter scheme that authorities said highlights the increasingly sophisticated methods used by transnational criminal organizations, per the AP. Authorities said the group behind the scheme used foreign straw owners to secretly buy medical supply companies and then used stolen identities and confidential health data to file fake Medicare claims. Nineteen defendants have been charged in that investigation, including four people arrested in Estonia, prosecutors said. The scheme involved the stolen identities and personal information of more than 1 million Americans, according to the Justice Department. "It's not done by small-time operators," said Dr. Mehmet Oz, who runs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "These are organized syndicates who are designing to hurt America."