Story perspectives

19 Charged in $4M Medicaid Fraud; $300M Grant Boosts Crackdown

8/5/2026

Summary

Federal Prosecutors Charge

U.S. federal and Pennsylvania officials charged 19 people with alleged Medicaid home-health fraud exceeding $4 million.
The scheme billed for services while caregivers were jailed, hospitalized, driving for ride-share, or dead, recording impossible 64,000 hours that yielded $1.2 million.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced a $300 million grant for prosecutors and expanding the Northeast Health Care Fraud Strike Force to Philadelphia.

Summary

Oz Unveils Initiative

A press conference at William J. Green Jr. Federal Building in Philadelphia on Aug 4, 2026 unveiled the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s new Anti-Fraud Initiative.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, HHS Inspector General T. March Bell, and FBI Special Agent Wayne Jacobs attended, showing coordination.
Oz said CMS has flagged improper Medicaid enrollments, curbed fraudulent billing, and deferred matching funds to high-risk states, reflecting administration’s focus on program integrity.

History

Historical Context

The DOJ’s 2007 creation of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force—combining DOJ prosecutors, the FBI and HHS data analysts—followed earlier 1990s anti-fraud pushes and has, by 2013, charged more than 1,500 providers for over $5 billion in false Medicare claims. Today, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf and CMS chief Mehmet Oz launch the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Anti-Fraud Initiative, echoing that multi-agency model to curb Medicaid home-health scams.

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Federal Prosecutors Charge

U.S. federal and Pennsylvania officials charged 19 people with alleged Medicaid home-health fraud exceeding $4 million.
The scheme billed for services while caregivers were jailed, hospitalized, driving for ride-share, or dead, recording impossible 64,000 hours that yielded $1.2 million.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced a $300 million grant for prosecutors and expanding the Northeast Health Care Fraud Strike Force to Philadelphia.

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