U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger told an audience at Mitchell Hamline School of Law on Thursday that fighting health care fraud is a major priority for his office.
Luger, who was sworn in as Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney in 2014, is responsible for the prosecution of health care fraud cases in the state. Some estimates put the nationwide cost of health care fraud at close to $100 billion a year.
Luger said most fraud cases his office investigates involve providers who over-bill government health programs for services or products.
“There’s always people who are going to commit crimes,” Luger said. “The problem with this type of health care fraud is it steals from all of us.”
Luger said he wants private practice attorneys to work with his office to end health care fraud.
“My goal is to help stop this,” he said. “Are there ways you can work me and my team to cut back on this?”
Luger also told the crowd of attorneys and Mitchell Hamline students that his office is concerned about the epidemic of opioid abuse in Minnesota and across the country. Opioids include doctor-prescribed pain killers, and illegal drugs like heroin.
“This is the biggest health care crisis we have to face,” Luger said. “It’s sweeping the country. It’s everywhere. It knows no bounds.”
Luger’s presentation was part of the Mitchell Hamline Health Law Institute’s National Speaker series. The institute is a regional hub for the health law community, providing programs, training, educational opportunities, events, and symposia for law students, attorneys, health care practitioners, and business professionals.