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TRICARE Health Program, TRICARE Pharmacy Program, Program Integrity, Program Integrity
DALLAS — Special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) arrested nine defendants this week in connection with their roles in a $100 million health care fraud conspiracy perpetrated against TRICARE, the health insurance program for members of the military and their families. A tenth defendant surrendered to the FBI. The defendants, including doctors, pharmacy owners, and marketers were charged in a 35-count superseding indictment returned last week in Dallas and unsealed this afternoon, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
"Exhaustive investigative work by FBI and DCIS special agents and investigators not only led to today’s arrests, but to the identification and seizure of millions in assets that these defendants derived from their participation in this massive scheme that caused the TRICARE health insurance program -- designed for our military personnel, veterans and their families -- to suffer more than $100 million in actual losses," said Parker.
"Today’s arrests helped to alleviate the burden on the American taxpayers from an organized group determined to commit fraud within the healthcare industry, principally, the TRICARE system," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Costanzi of FBI Dallas. "This joint effort by the Dallas FBI and DCIS is one of many successful law enforcement partnerships forged to dismantle healthcare fraud groups."
"The indictments and arrests in this investigation highlight another step forward by DCIS and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) health care program known as TRICARE," said Special Agent in Charge Janice M. Flores, of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "Fraud and abuse by pharmacies and medical providers that bill for compounded prescriptions and/or medications is a significant threat to the DoD health care system. With DoD’s limited resources and budgets, DCIS must continue to aggressively investigate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve and recover precious taxpayer dollars for our most vulnerable programs."
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