Trump administration charges 455 people, including doctors, with $6.5 billion in healthcare fraud 5.9k

FBI Director Kash Patel, flanked by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC on Tuesday. - Ken Cedeno/AFP/Getty Images

NEWS BLEND 360

Tue, June 23, 2026 at 8:45 PM EDT

In a recent move by the Trump administration to combat fraud, the Justice Department announced charges on Tuesday against 455 individuals for their alleged roles in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes.

The accused, including 90 doctors and other healthcare professionals, were implicated in $6.5 billion worth of fraud involving false claims that caused significant harm to patients, as reported by the Justice Department on Tuesday.

"This is just the beginning. Fraudsters can no longer rip off American taxpayers," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated at a press conference on Tuesday. "If you seek to harm or cheat Americans, we will find you, seize any assets, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

Officials pointed out one defendant who allegedly approved a student's cardiovascular test as normal, without informing the family of his enlarged heart. The 18-year-old college basketball player, Kaiden Francis, passed away weeks later during a workout.

A record 45 states and territories took part in this year's National Health Care Fraud Takedown, as noted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the press conference. The Trump administration has targeted Medicare and Medicaid fraud in several primarily Democratic-led states, prompting claims of political bias from their governors.

The administration has been particularly focused on healthcare fraud. Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has been a key figure — leveraging his TV background to create videos in areas identified as fraud hotspots. The agency aims to prevent payments for fraudulent claims before they occur.

"Healthcare fraud steals from taxpayers, exploits vulnerable patients, and puts lives at risk," Kennedy commented in a statement.

The cases included fraudulent wound care claims, leading to $2 billion in Medicare payments to one Arizona company and another $906 million scheme in Texas. In another instance, a California hospice owner allegedly paid a funeral home employee for information about the recently deceased to fraudulently bill Medicare for a few days of hospice services.

The takedown also involved charges against 295 defendants and over $518 million in false claims submitted to Medicaid — marking the largest number of individuals charged and funds lost to fraud in the Justice Department's history.

Last year, the Justice Department charged 324 defendants with over $14.6 billion in alleged fraud during its annual takedown effort.