Justice Department Reports Record Number of Health Fraud Cases

The Justice Department opened a record number of False Claims Act cases last year involving allegations of health-care fraud, and it’s zeroing in now on those who misuse electronic health records, contribute to the opioid epidemic, abuse senior citizens, manipulate Medicare’s managed care program, and improperly claim Covid-19 relief funds.

“The department also opened over 900 new matters, including 580 new health fraud matters,” Michael Granston, deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s commercial litigation branch, said Tuesday during the American Health Law Association’s annual meeting.

The agency settled approximately 366 FCA matters in 2020, which included 265 of health-care ...