Louisiana Man Charged in $3.8M Medicare Fraud Scam

MONROE, La. — A West Monroe man, Michael L. Riggins, 61, has been slapped with federal charges for orchestrating a massive Medicare fraud scheme that spanned over five years.

Riggins, who owns Bluewater Healthcare, is accused of paying doctors to write orders for costly and unnecessary pneumatic compression devices (PCDs), defrauding the government out of $3.8 million in fraudulent claims. He then pocketed over $1.8 million in reimbursements.

This fraudster’s operation is just one of many targeted by the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, a two-week crackdown that resulted in charges against 147 defendants for over $2.5 billion in false billings.

The DOJ’s coordinated effort, which spanned multiple districts and involved data analytics teams, led to the seizure of over $150 million in assets, including cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and more.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Flanagan and Trial Attorneys Samantha Usher and Kelly Z. Walters are leading the charge against Riggins, working in conjunction with the Department’s Criminal Division and HHS-OIG to bring justice to those who defraud Medicare and other health care programs.

It’s important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation, and Riggins is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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