Notes on the National Summit on Health Care Fraud : Life Sciences ...

by Lisa Baird

Leading the morning session, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius vowed to “prevent, catch, and discourage fraudsters,” stating “Criminals – your days are numbered.” She promised an aggressive new fraud prevention focus, including enhanced Medicare Strike Force activities in a number of US cities, and continued coordinated, multi-agency initiatives under HEAT – the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team Secretary Sebelius also stated that, next week, the President’s budget likely will request an additional $1.7 billion in funding for fraud prevention and detection. Attorney General Eric Holder disclosed that, in 2009, DOJ charged over 800 individuals in health care fraud cases, and obtained 580 convictions so far. DOJ also recovered billions of dollars in False Claims Act (qui tam) recoveries. He also promised that future fraud-busting efforts will include actively engaging the private sector (including Medicare beneficiaries recruited to serve on “Senior Medicare Patrols”), the insurance industry, and health care providers. A panel comprised of representatives from CMS, FBI, OIG, DOJ, and others who have worked on what they call “the viral fraud cases in the Miami-Dade area” (i.e., spreading like a virus) told stories about the highly-aggressive and coordinated tactics and techniques they now employ. An Assistant United States Attorney who serves as the South Florida Health Fraud Coordinator, Luis Perez, said the days of prolonged subpoena productions, accountant analyses, extended research into cases, and deference to white collar defendants, are over: “We arrest everyone,” he said. His team of government agents and prosecutors seeks to bring the highest possible provable charges as offenses are committed, and then bring in additional evidence during the sentencing phase in order to seek upward adjustments under the Sentencing Guidelines to obtain maximum...

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