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Health Care Crimes Task Force Targets Opioid Diversion in WV
In a move to crack down on opioid diversion and health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell has established the Health Care Crimes Task Force in West Virginia. The task force aims to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals and businesses engaging in these illicit activities.
“It is a priority of this office to prosecute those who use their professional license or health care business to cloak illegal activities. This task force will once again use the cooperative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who engage in fraud, improper opioid distribution, and other abuses of our health care system. The professional status of these individuals will not protect them from prosecution,” said Powell.
The need for such a task force is urgent, given West Virginia’s high ranking in terms of Medicaid enrollment. With 31% of the population enrolled in Medicaid, residents in the mountain state are particularly vulnerable to health care fraud-related crimes. Furthermore, the state’s 23% Medicare enrollment rate also puts its residents at risk.
The task force brings together the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of West Virginia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the West Virginia Insurance Commission Fraud Unit, and the West Virginia Medicaid Fraud Unit.
Prosecution efforts have already yielded significant results nationally. In 2016, the government prosecuted 802 defendants for health care fraud-related crimes, collecting more than $3.3 billion to be returned to the federal government and private individuals.
Residents can report suspected health care-related illegal activity to the task force by calling 304-234-7711 or emailing usawvn.HCC@usdoj.gov. The task force serves as a powerful tool in the fight against opioid diversion and health care fraud in West Virginia, and its establishment is a significant step forward in protecting the state’s residents from these crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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