🚨Bogus Medicare DME Fraud Claims Uncovered: DOJ Targets $33M

💡 SummaryThe Justice Department has launched civil forfeiture actions against two Florida-based durable medical equipment (DME) providers—Vida Med Center LLC and Med-Union Medical Center, Inc.—accused of defrauding Medicare  of over $33 million. These companies allegedly submitted Medicare DME fraud false claims for medically unnecessary equipment that was never provided.

🔍 What Happened?

• Vida Med Center LLC billed Medicare for $14.1 million and received $8.7 million in reimbursements.
• Med-Union Medical Center, Inc. submitted $19 million in claims and was paid $14.1 million—shockingly, all based on prescriptions from a single provider.
• The DOJ is seeking to recover nearly $11 million in fraudulently obtained taxpayer funds through civil forfeiture.

🧑‍⚖️ Who’s Involved?

• U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne (Southern District of Florida)
• HHS-OIG and FBI Miami Field Office are leading the investigation.
• Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón and Joshua Paster are prosecuting the case.

⚖️ What Is Civil Forfeiture?

Civil forfeiture allows the government to seize assets suspected of being tied to criminal activity. In this case, the funds allegedly represent proceeds from fraudulent Medicare billing. These are allegations—not proven facts—until a court rules in favor of the United States.

📚 Learn More

You can read the full DOJ release on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. For case details, visit the Southern District of Florida’s court site under case numbers 25-cv-23345 and 25-cv-23340.