Sessions Announces Charges For 601 People In Largest Health Care Fraud Bust In History

[Right_in_Virginia]

Sessions Announces Charges For 601 People In Largest Health Care Fraud Bust In History
Daily Caller, Jun 29, 2018, Steve Birr

Federal officials are charging 601 people, including more than 100 medical workers, for fueling opioid addiction in the largest bust of health care fraud in U.S. history.

The Department of Justice revealed the charges Thursday, which were brought as part of an annual effort to dismantle schemes across the country involved in scamming health care programs. The takedown included the arrest of 76 doctors, 23 pharmacists, 19 nurses and several hundred others involved in prescribing and distributing massive quantities of opioid medications, resulting in more than $2 billion in fraudulent costs to federal health care programs and insurers, reports NBC News.

In one example, the owner of a Texas-based pharmacy chain and two co-conspirators filled scripts for more than 1 million oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, which were subsequently transferred to couriers for sale on the street.

“Much of this fraud is related to our ongoing opioid crisis—which is the deadliest drug epidemic in American history,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “Some of our most trusted medical professionals look at their patients—vulnerable people suffering from addiction—and they see dollar signs.”

The Department of Justice under Sessions is making progress in the fight against both smugglers and medical providers taking advantage of the national opioid epidemic. Federal authorities have charged nearly 200 doctors for criminal activity linked to opioid medications since January 2017, along with 220 medical workers.


More:  http://dailycaller.com/2018/06/29/largest-opioid-fraud-bust/

[Right_in_Virginia]

Pain Clinic CEO Charged In $200 Million Opioid Fraud Scheme That Bought Him Mansion, Exotic Cars
Daily Caller, Jun 7, 2018, Steve Birr

Four doctors and the CEO of a pain clinic in Detroit are accused of a $200 million opioid fraud scheme that funded a luxury lifestyle of exotic cars, a $7 million mansion and rare designer watches.

A federal indictment handed down by the Department of Justice Wednesday outlines what prosecutors say is one of the largest cases of health care fraud in Detroit’s history. At the center of the investigation is 38-year-old Mashiyat Rashid, the CEO of Tri-County Wellness and owner of numerous other pain clinics throughout Michigan, who prosecutors allege oversaw an operation that resulted in the illicit prescribing of 4.2 million doses of opioid-based medications, reports The Detroit News.

Authorities, who previously charge Rashid with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in October 2017, added charges of money laundering, receipt of kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States in the indictment Wednesday. Rashid, along with Michigan doctors Spilios Pappas, Joseph Betro, Tariq Omar and Mohammed Zahoor, allegedly forced millions of unnecessary opioid prescriptions on patients that were billed to Medicare, some of which were later sold on the street.


More:  http://dailycaller.com/2018/06/07/pain-ceo-200-million-opioid-fraud/