The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday it charged 15 people with healthcare fraud in California over a combined $2 billion in alleged fraudulent claims submitted to government and private healthcare programs.
The allegations include unnecessary medical procedures, illicit kickbacks, and hospice fraud, authorities said.
“California has a fraud problem,” Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said. “I dubbed California the kingdom of fraud. Whether it’s hospice fraud or health care fraud or election fraud, California does fraud best … California does nothing—nothing—to prevent fraudsters from getting money.”
One major charge highlighted Thursday involved more than $1.6 billion billed in an alleged scheme to lure vulnerable individuals to California for sham substance abuse treatments that were never given to the patients. The DOJ said it was the largest case of its type that the department ever prosecuted….