Why Organized Crime Is Moving In On Health Care

By Author: Jaun Paul
Total Articles: 53
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In a false claims case, federal fraud fighters recover $4 billion a year. But this is nothing compared to what Medicare and Medicaid fraudsters rake in i.e; an estimated $60 billion a year.


Organized crime is moving in on healthcare owing to big potential profits, said HHS Deputy Inspector General Tim Menke in an NPR interview with Scott Simon. Criminals look at healthcare fraud as lucrative and safe. Why would they rob a bank and risk getting shot when they can just click a mouse and bill Medicare or Medicaid and lie on some forms and make big money.


On being asked by Scott Simon on whether healthcare fraud attracts Tony Soprano types, Menke said that it's not just stereotypical Italians getting in on the act - even Armenians, Cubans, Nigerians, Russians, and Ukrainians. What's bothering all is the viral nature of healthcare fraud going across the US where some of the groups are actually merging.


The HHS deputy Inspector General also talked about the data analysis initiative ‘HEAT', which most health care providers are well aware of. He stressed that fighting against ...
... healthcare fraud is a different ball game from the old white collar crime days. If we go by history, we've taken boxes of paper in a typical fraud investigation. Now owing to organized crime and street gang influence, we are talking about machine guns, automatic weapons, out of facilities that are engaged in healthcare fraud.

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