The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina convened its annual meeting of the Health Care Fraud Working Group, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. The working group is a partnership among federal and state agencies with the goal of addressing health care fraud and safeguarding taxpayer funds in the region.
The group brings together investigators, analysts, auditors, and attorneys from several agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Division, and South Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Recipient Fraud Unit.
During the meeting, U.S. Attorney Ferguson acknowledged the efforts made by these partner agencies in pursuing both criminal charges and civil claims against individuals involved in health care fraud within the district.
"Of the $5 trillion per year spent on healthcare in the United States, 45% is through government programs. That massive figure makes it hard to detect complex healthcare fraud; it simply cannot be done without strong partnerships and collaboration," said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. "But it is critical work—not just because we must protect taxpayer money, but because healthcare fraud increases medical costs and insurance premiums for everyone."
Individuals who suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud are encouraged to report their concerns by phone at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or online at https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/. Reports about Medicaid fraud specific to North Carolina can be made by calling 919-881-2320 or submitting a complaint form online. For TRICARE-related fraud issues, contact information for reporting is available at https://tricare.mil/PatientResources/ContactUs/ReportFraudAbuse. Those wishing to report fraud involving the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system may do so via www.vaoig.gov/hotline.
