Where the federal fight started
HHS's Office of Inspector General says the Medicare Fraud Strike Force was first established in March 2007. The Justice Department calls Miami "the site of the Health Care Fraud Section's first strike force," and says the model spread to Los Angeles, Detroit and Houston and, in Florida, to Tampa and Orlando. Its Florida prosecutors have convicted hundreds of people, including doctors, clinic owners, lab owners, patient recruiters, nurses and therapists, and DOJ says the Florida cases include some of the country's largest by Medicare money stolen.
What recent cases show
In the June 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida charged 12 defendants in schemes involving more than 4 billion dollars in claims for medical equipment, skin substitutes and wound care, lab testing and community mental health services. HHS-OIG describes them as services that were medically unnecessary, obtained through kickbacks to marketers and beneficiaries, or never provided. One defendant alone was charged over more than 3.7 billion dollars in false claims for urinary catheters and other equipment. In 2025, the Southern District charged 37 defendants.
The common thread is the Medicare number. Recruiters pay or pressure people for it, then bill Medicare for things the person never needed or never got.
Why South Florida?
The Justice Department doesn't publish a single cause. What is on the record:
- Many people with Medicare. Florida has 5,344,538 people with Medicare, and Miami-Dade County alone has {{fl:enroll.counties.Miami-Dade.total:n}} (CMS, July 2026).
- Repeat scheme types. DOJ lists health care fraud, kickbacks, money laundering and illegal prescription drug and opioid distribution among the Florida Strike Force's cases.
- Heavy enforcement. Because the Strike Force started here and still has three Florida teams, more Florida schemes are found and charged.
Charges are allegations; every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
How to protect yourself
Never trade your Medicare number for money, gifts or a test or brace "at no cost." Check your Medicare Summary Notice or plan statement, and report anything you didn't get to 1-800-MEDICARE or HHS-OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS. The Senior Medicare Patrol's national line, 1-877-808-2468, can help you decide whether something is fraud.
Related questions
How do I report Medicare fraud in Florida?
Who to call, step by step.
How can I tell if a call about Medicare is a scam?
Five warning signs.
Someone used my Medicare number. What do I do?
Check, report, protect.
More in Medicare fraud in Florida.
Sources
- HHS Office of Inspector General — Medicare Fraud Strike Force
- U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division — Florida Strike Force
- HHS-OIG — 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
- U.S. Department of Justice — 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
- HHS-OIG — Southern District of Florida, 2025 takedown
- CMS — Medicare Monthly Enrollment
More questions in this guide
- How do I report Medicare fraud in Florida?
- How can I tell if a call about Medicare is a scam?
- Someone used my Medicare number in Florida. What do I do?
Part of the guide: Medicare fraud in Florida: how to spot it and where to report it · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the Strike Force still working in Florida?
Yes. The Justice Department's Florida Strike Force has teams in Miami, Tampa and Orlando and works with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Florida districts took part in the 2025 and 2026 national takedowns.
Does fraud raise what I pay for Medicare?
Fraud drains the Medicare trust funds that everyone's taxes and premiums support, and it can put false diagnoses or services in your records. That is why Medicare asks you to check every statement and report anything you didn't get.
Am I in trouble if someone billed Medicare in my name?
Being the victim isn't a crime. Report it to 1-800-MEDICARE or HHS-OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS. Taking money or gifts in exchange for your Medicare number is different: in the 2026 Southern District cases, prosecutors described kickbacks paid to beneficiaries as part of the schemes.
Medicare in your Florida county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Miami-Dade · Broward · Palm Beach · Hillsborough · Orange · Duval · Pinellas · Lee · Polk · Pasco · Brevard · Volusia · Seminole · Sarasota · Osceola · Manatee · Lake · Marion · Collier · St. Lucie · All 67 counties →
