US charges 601 people in healthcare fraud linked to the opioid crisis
Boston — On Thursday, the US justice department announced charges against 601 people, including doctors and nurses, for taking part in healthcare fraud and opioid-related crimes that resulted in more than $2bn in losses. The arrests came as part of what the department said was the largest healthcare fraud takedown in US history and included 162 doctors and other suspects charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing addictive opioid painkillers. "In many cases, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists take advantage of people suffering from drug addiction in order to line their pockets," US attorney-general Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "These are despicable crimes." The charges centred in part on schemes to bill the government healthcare programmes Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, as well as private insurers for medically unnecessary prescription drugs and compounded medications. The justice department also brought charges against medical professionals it said were contributi...
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