{"id":2640502,"date":"2026-08-04T18:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T22:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-charges-19-in-medicaid-fraud-case-as-strike-force-tops-45-billion-nationally\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T18:13:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T22:13:07","slug":"doj-charges-19-in-medicaid-fraud-case-as-strike-force-tops-45-billion-nationally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-charges-19-in-medicaid-fraud-case-as-strike-force-tops-45-billion-nationally\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ charges 19 in Medicaid fraud case as strike force tops $45 billion nationally"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-charges-19-in-medicaid-fraud-case-as-strike-force-tops-45-billion-nationally%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2640502&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Justice Department announced charges against 19 individuals involved in Philadelphia-area schemes fraudulently claiming over $4 million through Medicare and Medicaid. The scheme included billing for services that were never provided, such as when aides or recipients were incarcerated, hospitalized, traveling abroad, or working elsewhere. This effort marks the expansion of the Northeast Health Care Fraud Strike Force into philadelphia, with a focus on combating healthcare fraud, especially affecting Medicaid home-care programs.The DOJ highlighted the importance of protecting funds intended for vulnerable populations and noted that nationally,the Strike Force has prosecuted over 6,200 cases involving more than $45 billion in fraudulent claims. Specific allegations include submitting claims for unneeded or nonexistent services and suspicious billing practices such as billing for care while traveling internationally or working as ride-share drivers. experts emphasize that increased scrutiny is needed, particularly in sectors like autism therapy services, where fraudulent billing has also been reported. The expansion of enforcement efforts aims to deter healthcare fraud and safeguard taxpayer dollars.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\">Justice Department<\/a> on Tuesday charged 19 defendants in alleged Philadelphia-area schemes that generated more than $4 million in fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims, while expanding its Northeast Health Care Fraud Strike Force into the city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The defendants include home health aides, Medicaid recipients, and owners and employees of home care companies, according to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/fraud-division-announces-charges-against-19-defendants-medicaid-home-health-aid-schemes\">DOJ\u2019s announcement<\/a>. Officials alleged that some billed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/medicaid\/\">Medicaid<\/a> for services that were never provided, including care purportedly delivered while aides or recipients were incarcerated, hospitalized, traveling overseas, or working other jobs.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4674809\/wisconsin-judge-paper-absentee-ballots-discriminate-disabled-voters\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Wisconsin judge rules paper absentee ballots discriminate against disabled voters<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4674462\/doj-charges-19-in-alleged-4-million-philadelphia-medicaid-fraud-case-as-fraud-strike-force-tops-45-billion-nationally\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ charges 19 in alleged $4 million Philadelphia Medicaid fraud case as fraud strike force tops $45 billion nationally<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4674545\/appeals-court-upholds-florida-law-banning-drag-shows-children\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Appeals court upholds Florida law banning drag shows for children<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26146681072237.webp?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The charges were announced alongside a partnership between the DOJ\u2019s National Fraud Enforcement Division and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The new <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/philadelphia\/\">Philadelphia<\/a> office will focus on healthcare-fraud schemes, particularly those targeting Medicaid home-care programs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHome care funding exists to assist America\u2019s elderly and most vulnerable \u2014 not to fund schemes in which aides claim be providing care while incarcerated or vacationing in Miami and Saudi Arabia,\u201d Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald said in a statement. \u201cToday\u2019s charges and the expansion of our Northeast Strike Force into the Eastern District of Pennsylvania send a clear message to fraudsters in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nationally, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force model has prosecuted more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal healthcare programs and private insurers more than $45 billion, according to the DOJ.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Philadelphia cases include allegations that four defendants submitted more than $440,000 in Medicaid claims for home health services that never occurred. Federal authorities also alleged that one defendant submitted claims for home care while traveling overseas, including on a trip to Miami documented in social media posts shared by the DOJ.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Social media posts shared by the Justice Department depict a defendant\u2019s trip to Miami while he allegedly billed Medicaid for home care services in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. (Department of Justice)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DOJ_fraud_Miami-Trips.webp?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;1024&#8243; width=&#8221;1022&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Social media posts shared by the Justice Department depict a defendant\u2019s trip to Miami while he allegedly billed Medicaid for home care services in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. (Department of Justice)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another case, prosecutors alleged that a purported aide sought reimbursement while working as a ride-share and food-delivery driver. Officials also accused one home health aide of claiming to provide care to as many as seven Medicaid recipients simultaneously. The aide allegedly submitted more than 1,100 claims for over 24 hours of work in a single day, resulting in more than $1.2 million in Medicaid payments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a Tuesday press conference, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mehmet-oz\/\">Dr. Mehmet Oz<\/a>, administrator of the Centers for Medicare &#038; Medicaid Services, pointed to Pennsylvania\u2019s personal-care billing data as a reason for heightened scrutiny. Pennsylvania ranks fifth nationally in average monthly payments both per beneficiary and per provider, he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We reviewed Pennsylvania&#8217;s personal care billing trends \u2014 their data raises concerns:<\/p>\n<p>\u27a1\ufe0fPA ranks 5th nationally in average monthly payment, both per beneficiary and per provider<br \/>\u27a1\ufe0fOver 96% of personal care claims here cite &#8220;illness unspecified.\u201d<br \/>\u27a1\ufe0fAverage payment per beneficiary\u2026 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FiOpbrJkKx\">pic.twitter.com\/FiOpbrJkKx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Oz CMS (@DrOzCMS) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DrOzCMS\/status\/2084683195560108259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 96% of personal-care claims in the state are coded as \u201cillness unspecified,\u201d a designation Oz said makes it harder for CMS to track the services being provided and detect improper billing. The average payment per beneficiary exceeded $51,000, according to Oz.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMedicaid fraud robs hardworking taxpayers, deprives vulnerable Americans of the care they need, and undermines the public trust that sustains our social safety net,\u201d Oz said in a statement. \u201cCMS will continue partnering with law enforcement to shut down these scams while establishing new anti-fraud safeguards that flag criminal activity before the money ever leaves the building.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> the Philadelphia cases should prompt similar scrutiny of applied behavior analysis, or ABA, providers serving autistic patients. His organization has accused parts of the autism-therapy industry of inflated billings, fraudulent filings, and billing for care that was never delivered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat is precisely the machinery the ABA industry needs pointed at it,\u201d Jones said, arguing that the strike force\u2019s resources and CMS data could be used to investigate alleged phantom autism-therapy services. He credited the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Trump administration<\/a>\u2019s fraud-enforcement push and said AAF would continue providing evidence it says supports additional investigations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4669496\/doj-data-sharing-agreement-state-fraud\/\">DOJ ANNOUNCES DATA SHARING AGREEMENT WITH STATES AFTER $350 MILLION IN FRAUD FOUND IN SOUTHEAST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ\u2019s Philadelphia announcement involved alleged home-care fraud, not charges involving ABA services. But Jones pointed to prior federal concerns over questionable ABA billing and urged officials to apply the expanded strike force\u2019s enforcement model to that sector.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Philadelphia expansion follows recent Strike Force growth in California, Arizona, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. The DOJ said its healthcare-fraud enforcement efforts discovered more than $15 billion in alleged losses in 2025 and more than $6 billion in 2026.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ charges 19 in $4M Philadelphia Medicaid fraud case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2640503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26124596569167.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[83686,78408,58276,61924,59777],"class_list":["post-2640502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-45-billion-recovery","tag-doj-crackdown","tag-healthcare-scam","tag-medicaid-fraud","tag-strike-force"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26124596569167.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2640502"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2640505,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640502\/revisions\/2640505"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2640503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2640502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}