HHS OIG: Fraud recoveries on pace to exceed $5 billion in 2016

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recovered more than $2.7 billion during the first half 2016 thanks to a $1 billion spike in investigative receivables over the last year, according to the agency's Semiannual Report to Congress.

From October 2015 through March 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services OIG recovered $2.22 billion through investigations, matching the agency's total investigative recoveries for all of last year. A large portion was attributed to the $646 million settlement with Olympus in March. More than $554 million was recovered through audits during the first half of fiscal year 2016.

Civil actions continued to climb in 2016, reaching 386 during the first half of the year, a slight jump from 326 during the first half of 2015. Civil monetary penalties (CMP) have increased five-fold over the past three years, and 2016 is on pace to continue that upward trend thanks to the OIG's new litigation team that focuses exclusively on CMP and exclusion cases.

Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams filed charges against 87 individuals or entities and brought in $116.8 million from fraud investigations during the first half of 2016.

To learn more:
- here's the OIG's Semiannual Report

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