With a sweep of indictments across the country, federal agents carried out the largest health fraud enforcement action in the history of the nation, charging 601 people, including 76 physicians. The “takedown” was announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, HHS Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary Cantrell and other law enforcers at a June 28 press conference, and while opioids are the focus, many other fraud charges were filed, including kickbacks. A total of $2 billion in fraudulent billing is alleged.

In many of the cases, the government alleges the defendants submitted claims to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and/or private insurers for medically unnecessary prescription drugs and compounded medications that often were never bought and/or dispensed to beneficiaries.