The 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown charged 49 defendants in connection with more than $1.17 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims involving telemedicine and genetic testing fraud. According to the DOJ, schemes involved everything from deceptive telemarketing campaigns to fake AI-generated patient consent recordings.

This isn’t just about a few rogue employees or a technical glitch anymore. These are structured operations—some of them run by professionals—who used telehealth as a vehicle to mass-produce Medicare claims. One case in the Southern District of Florida involved a $46 million scheme in which a telemedicine company allegedly billed Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic testing after obtaining beneficiary information through deceptive means.

The message from prosecutors is straightforward: if you used telemedicine to bill for unnecessary or unwanted services, or if you allowed your license or company to be used for these schemes, you are a target. If you haven’t started preparing your defense or documenting how you’ve cooperated, you’re giving the government a head start—and that’s a mistake you can’t afford.

The Government Is Watching Everything—Especially Telehealth Billing

Telehealth exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. And with it came loopholes, shortcuts, and fraudulent billing. The DOJ, HHS-OIG, and CMS are now using those same tools—data analysis, electronic health records, and billing history—to investigate. If your name is on a telemedicine provider list, billing record, or tied to any affiliated clinic, you’re not just connected—you’re potentially part of the case.

This takedown showed how these schemes operate:

• Fraudulent companies collect Medicare beneficiary data through cold calls or digital ads
  
• AI tools generate recordings to simulate consent
  
• Licensed providers are paid to sign off on unnecessary orders
  
• Genetic testing labs and DME companies submit massive batches of claims
  

Some will claim they didn’t know the whole story. But in federal health care fraud, saying “I didn’t know” won’t protect you—it makes you look unprepared.

Delaying Cooperation Makes It Worse

If you’re connected to one of these schemes, silence will not help you. The people who get better outcomes are those who step up early, accept responsibility, and back it up with clear documentation. The DOJ has made it clear they reward cooperation—but they don’t wait long for it.

That’s why timing is everything. If you’ve received a subpoena, sat for an interview, or see your name linked to a clinic, pharmacy, or billing network under investigation, the government is building a case—and you’re already in it.

Start preparing your release plan. Use PrisonProfessorsTalent.com to publish your narrative and document your progress. Prosecutors and probation officers look for people who are not just talking about cooperation but showing it—through writing, through behavior, and through consistent documentation.

Michael Santos has used this exact strategy during his own prison term, and his release planning workbook shows defendants how to build a clear, documented plan the BOP can use.

What a Release Plan Looks Like in These Cases

In telemedicine and genetic testing cases, your release plan should:

• Explain how you got involved in the operation
  
• Acknowledge what you failed to do—whether it was due diligence, oversight, or deliberate action
  
• Show what you’ve done since: education, restitution efforts, compliance steps
  
• Provide letters of support, certificates, and a timeline of progress
  
• Be publicly accessible, not hidden in a court filing
  

You don’t get credit for effort unless someone can verify it. That’s why publishing matters—it gives decision-makers something real to review. And your release plan shouldn’t just sit in a folder; it needs to show exactly how you’re preparing to succeed after custody.

The DOJ Is Targeting Providers, Not Just Owners

In these cases, it’s not just company owners or billing specialists being charged. Licensed providers who allowed their credentials to be used for unnecessary services are also being prosecuted. This means that if you lent your license to a telehealth network, approved batches of orders without patient contact, or signed forms under pressure, you may already be in the government’s sights.

This is your chance to get in front of the case—to be clear about what you did, take real responsibility, and show the steps you’re taking now. If you wait, the government will define your role for you—and you’ll have to live with their version.

Join our weekly webinar every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern. Or schedule a personal call with our team. If you worked in a telehealth operation with outsourced prescribers, bulk orders, or questionable billing practices—like the ones in the latest DOJ charges—you need to get a lawyer and start building your defense now.

Justin Paperny