OIG Unveils Most Wanted List
Showing a continued resolve to combat health care fraud and abuse, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has launched a Most Wanted Fugitives List. In an effort to engage the public in fighting health care fraud and abuse, the list identifies more than 170 individuals alleged to have committed health care fraud-related crimes. According to the OIG's press release, the top ten individuals on this list have cost taxpayers over $124 million. This announcement comes on the heels of the January 24, 2011 joint announcement by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services that the federal government recovered more than $4 billion taxpayer dollars in fiscal year 2010 from it's health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts. If the OIG's plan works and the public pitches in on the enforcement front as a result of the Most Wanted Fugitives List, 2011 could be another very busy year for the federal government's health care fraud and abuse team.
