Federal investigators have indicted more than 300 people, including Koreans from New Jersey, in the largest-ever crackdown on Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Federal prosecutors announced on the 1st that they had indicted 324 people nationwide through the ‘2025 National Healthcare Fraud Crackdown’, which was conducted in cooperation with the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration on the 30th of last month.
The total amount of fraud is over $14.6 billion. Prosecutors reported that among the suspects caught this time for healthcare fraud, there were 96 licensed medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
According to prosecutors, Kim (43), who lives in Rivervale, New Jersey, was also indicted on charges of medical fraud. Kim, a physical therapist working at a pain clinic, is accused of conspiring to falsely and fraudulently claim medical insurance for an Amtrak employee who was a client.
Prosecutors have found that Kim participated in submitting false and fraudulent claims for non-provided procedures and services based on the client’s insurance information, and the amount of false claims is reported to be $2,253,453.In New York, JD Express Inc., which provides Medicaid free car service in Forest Hills, Queens, agreed to pay $331,000 in civil settlements with prosecutors after being caught with inconsistent tolls and unlicensed and suspended drivers.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors seized a total of $245 million worth of assets nationwide through this operation, including cash, luxury vehicles, and cryptocurrencies. The operation also reportedly helped the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) block more than $4 billion worth of fraudulent claims in advance.