More than 43 people in 11 judicial districts were accused of participating in an array of different schemes relating to telemedicine.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced this past week that it was bringing criminal charges against 138 total defendants for their alleged participation in various healthcare fraud schemes, resulting in about $1.4 billion in alleged losses.  

More than $1.1 billion of that loss involved allegedly fraudulent claims related to telemedicine.  

"We have seen all too often criminals who engage in health care fraud – stealing from taxpayers while jeopardizing the health of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries," said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary L. Cantrell of HHS-OIG in a statement.

"Today’s announcement should serve as another warning to individuals who may be considering engaging in such illicit activity: Our agency and its law enforcement partners remain unrelenting in our commitment to rooting out fraud, holding bad actors accountable, and protecting the millions of beneficiaries who rely on federal healthcare programs," said Cantrell.  

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