Several federal agencies, working together, announced a major nationwide health care fraud sweep which resulted in the arrests of almost 250 people. Among those arrested were physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, who were all accused of defrauding both Medicare and Medicaid systems. According to investigators, the effort uncovered more than $700 million in allegedly fraudulent billing.

Many of those charged allegedly billed the government for services that were never received and medical equipment which was never provided to patients. Prescription drug fraud was also targeted by investigators, with more than 40 of the defendants who were arrested accused of defrauding Medicare’s drug benefit program. Investigators say this program has become one of the fastest growing targets of fraudulent activity, with many of the prescription painkillers dispensed ending up being sold illegally on the streets to drug addicts.

Federal and state agencies were involved in the massive arrests, including the FBI, the U.S. Health and Human Services inspector general's office, U.S. attorneys& offices across the country, and dozens of state Medicaid fraud units. The arrests spanned the nation and involved many states. Examples of the fraud allegedly committed include:

Although the ancient paper check transaction is a thing of the past for most, writing bad checks is still a crime. Fraudulently making, signing, depositing, or giving a check to another with fictitious account information or inadequate funds is more than just a fee deducted from your bank for the bounced check—it can carry both civil and criminal punishments.

The Civil Component

While many “bad check” fraud schemes result in jail time, others may carry civil penalties in addition to, or in place of, criminal charges. According to the Illinois Court of Appeals, for a person to recover monetary damages from a person who wrote a bad check, the person in receipt of the bad check must prove four things: