There are three reasons Medicare and Medicaid fraud are in the news more often than it was 5 or 10 years ago:

1) Under the Clinton administration, Janet Reno made healthcare fraud the number two priority for the Attorney General’s office (right behind violent crime). Investigations started during that period are starting to produce large court cases.

2) Economic conditions are forcing state and federal government to look for big savings. Healthcare fraud control allows governments to cut spending without cutting services.

3) Technology is improving. Medicare and Medicaid programs use sophisticated software and fraud control specialists to identify fraud and build better cases.