Breaking Down Healthcare Fraud in Indiana: 200 Individuals Charged with Exploiting Vulnerable Patients”.

In a major crackdown on healthcare fraud, federal law enforcement officials have charged nearly 200 individuals in Indiana with defrauding health care programs and exploiting vulnerable patients. Among the accused are more than a dozen healthcare providers, including pharmaceutical company owners who purchased discounted drugs from the black market and resold them to pharmacies with fake documentation.

In addition to this scheme, two wound care companies and two nurse practitioners were charged with using unnecessary and expensive equipment on elderly patients in hospice care. Some of the cases involved providers stealing drugs, particularly opioids, from clinical facilities and patients, and attempting to conceal their theft. In some instances, healthcare workers even went as far as stealing credit and bank cards from nursing home residents to make personal purchases. Purchases ranged from motorcycle parts to jewelry to cash.

One notable case involved a nurse from LaPorte who allegedly submitted false claims to a Medicaid program for services that were never provided. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the importance of combatting health care fraud, stating that it is not a victimless crime and that efforts will continue to disrupt schemes that target vulnerable patients.

For further inquiries, Binghui Huang can be contacted at 317-385-1595 or via email at Bhuang@gannett.com.