Massive health care fraud bust in New York City

On Behalf of | Mar 15, 2022 | blog, Health Care Fraud

Thirteen individuals have been arrested in a massive New York City corruption scandal. The charges include money laundering, health care fraud, bribery and a host of other charges. The announcement was made by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York along with other state and federal officials.

Officials uncovered a $100 million scam

The individuals named in the announcement were arrested for a variety of charges revolving around a $100 million automobile insurance fraud scheme. It should be noted that health care fraud was a vital component of the criminal activities detailed in the announcement.

The 13 defendants who were arrested included an NYPD officer, an attorney, several doctors and others. Among the charges listed were conspiracy to commit health care fraud, money laundering, bribery and obstruction of justice. These are charges that carry a potential for massive fines and long prison sentences.

What is the legal definition of health care fraud?

There are several types of fraud that are endemic to the health care industry. Criminal offenses can take the form of double billing. This is a case where doctors and other health care professionals submit multiple claims for one medical service they provided.

Other forms of fraud in this area include unbundling. This is where a doctor may send a series of bills for the same service by billing separately for different components of this service.

If you believe that you have been the victim of this kind of fraud, you need to take action. You can speak with your insurance company as well as a legal professional. They may be able to set an investigation in motion that will determine if fraud exists, where it originated and if anyone needs to be charged.