Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited Detroit on Tuesday, March 15 to participate in the fifth regional health care fraud prevention summit.
These summits bring together a wide array of federal, state and local partners, beneficiaries, providers and other interested parties to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud within the U.S. health care system. The summits are part of a larger effort on behalf of the Obama Administration to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the U.S. health care system.
In Detroit , the joint efforts of the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and HHS have achieved significant results in an area with major health care fraud problems. Since May 2009, this collaboration has resulted in charges against 120 defendants, in 18 separate criminal cases, for fraud schemes totaling approximately $120 million in taxpayer funds. So far, eight of these individuals have been convicted at trial and 63 have pleaded guilty.
‘Here in Detroit and communities across this region, many of you have witnessed the devastating effects of health care fraud,? said Attorney General Holder. ‘Through a collaborative DOJ-HHS effort, we are working in partnership with government, law enforcement and industry leaders to protect taxpayer dollars, control health care costs and ensure the strength and integrity of our most essential health care programs.
‘The results are clear: thanks to our efforts, health care fraud schemes throughout this region and across the country are being aggressively and permanently shut down. As we renew our commitment to this work today, I am committed to building on the progress we’ve made, continuing to collaborate with each of you, and seeking new ways to expand our operations to fight health care fraud.?