Last Thursday, federal officials announced that nearly $4.1 billion in stolen government benefits was recovered during 2011 as a result of government investigation of health care fraud schemes. That number is apparently up 58 percent from 2009. According to the Justice Department, over 1,400 individuals were charged with fraud in 500 cases in 2011, and over 700 convictions have been obtained as a result.

The achievement was lauded by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebellius, who attributed it to Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams, who have been cracking down on high crime areas.

Dallas and Chicago both created new strike forces in 2011, joining a group of seven metro areas that already have such efforts in place. These include: Miami; Los Angeles; Detroit; Houston; Baton Rouge; Tampa; and Brooklyn.

Health care fraud has become a popular avenue for both organized crime and street gangs. The schemes reportedly include a number of practices, including illegal marketing of medical devices and pharmaceuticals for unapproved purposes, Medicare fraud on the part of hospitals and other institutional providers, illegal pricing by drug manufacturers, as well as self-referrals and kickbacks.

According to Kathleen Sebelius, the investment in battling health care fraud has yielded a sevenfold return, making it well worth the effort.

It is important for anybody charged with health care fraud to realize that prosecutors aggressively pursue these charges against the accused, and will do everything in their power to secure a conviction. Because of this, it is critical to mount a strong defense in order to protect one's rights.

Source: CNN, "Federal agencies recover more than $4 billion in health care fraud losses," Carol Cratty, February 14, 2012.