The U.S. Justice Department announced that the federal government recovered $3.3 billion from alleged healthcare fraud schemes in fiscal 2014, although that figure is about $1 billion less than what was recovered in 2013. Modern Healthcare reports:
The department touted its latest efforts, combined with those of HHS, as part of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program. The administration recouped $7.70 for every dollar spent on healthcare-related fraud and abuse investigations over the past three years, the Justice Department said in a news release.
“The extraordinary return on investment we've obtained speaks to the skill, the tenacity, and the inspiring success of the hardworking men and women fighting on behalf of the American people,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. “And with these outstanding results, we are sending the unmistakable message that we will not waver in our mission to pursue fraud, to protect vulnerable communities, and to preserve the public trust.”
The amounts recovered in 2012 and 2013 were much larger, $4.2 billion and $4.3 billion respectively. But those years saw recoveries from criminal investigations and settlements in large institutional fraud cases, including against pharmaceutical companies, said Kevin Lewis, a Justice Department spokesman.
The Wall Street Journal writes:
“These impressive recoveries for the American taxpayer demonstrate our continued commitment to this goal and highlight our efforts to prosecute the most egregious instances of health-care fraud and prevent future fraud and abuse,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in a statement.
The Obama administration has been intensifying its focus on fraud and waste by preventing abuse and cutting the time from when fraud is identified and an arrest is made. The recoveries, while substantial, are small compared to the estimated fraud in the system.
