$3.3B returned to government through federal healthcare fraud enforcement

The federal government recovered $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2014 from individuals and companies that attempted to defraud federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, Attorney General Eric Holder and HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced March 19.

President Barack Obama's administration recovered $7.70 for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations in the last three years. That's about $2 higher than the average return on investment in the federal government's Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program since it was created nearly two decades ago, and the third-highest return on investment since the antifraud program launched, according to a news release. 

"These impressive recoveries for the American taxpayer demonstrate our continued commitment to this goal and highlight our efforts to prosecute the most egregious instances of healthcare fraud and prevent future fraud and abuse," Secretary Burwell said in the release. "New enrollment screening techniques and computer analytics are preventing fraud before money ever goes out the door. And together with the continued support of Congress and our partners at the Department of Justice, we've cracked down on tens of thousands of healthcare providers suspected of Medicare fraud all of which are helping to extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund."

More than $27.8 billion has been returned to the Medicare Trust Fund since the HCFAC Program began.

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