(FOX NEWS)
ATLANTA - Georgia officials are highlighting new Medicaid fraud cases tied to a nationwide law enforcement effort that investigators say uncovered billions of dollars in alleged health care fraud across the country.
What we know:
Attorney General Chris Carr on Tuesday announced a federal indictment against an Atlanta physician and a separate civil settlement involving a psychiatric practice, both connected to Georgia's participation in the U.S. Department of Justice's National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
The announcement comes as federal authorities revealed charges against 455 people nationwide, including dozens of doctors and other licensed medical professionals. Investigators allege the various schemes involved more than $6.5 billion in fraudulent claims submitted to government and private health care programs.
RELATED: 455 charged in health care fraud crackdown; schemes totaled over $6.5 billion
Atlanta physician accused of multimillion-dollar scheme
The backstory:
According to the indictment, Murrell Rutledge Jr., 52, of Atlanta, is charged with 40 counts of health care fraud.
Prosecutors allege Rutledge operated Rutledge Medical Associates in East Point and submitted thousands of claims to Georgia Medicaid for medical services that were never performed between 2017 and 2023.
Investigators contend the claims included wound care treatments, allergy testing and psychotherapy services. Authorities allege the fraudulent billings exceeded $4 million and generated millions of dollars in Medicaid payments that were not legitimately earned.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Georgia Department of Community Health.
Rutledge is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Psychiatric practice reaches settlement
Dig deeper:
Carr's office also announced a $375,000 settlement with Avant Interventional Psychiatry and Dr. Okah Anyokwu.
State investigators alleged Medicaid was billed for psychiatric services as though they had been provided by Anyokwu when some services were actually performed by other employees. Authorities said some of those workers were not licensed or enrolled as Medicaid providers.
The settlement resolves the allegations and does not include an admission of liability.
According to the attorney general's office, the investigation began after information was provided by a private citizen and one of Georgia's care management organizations.
Part of a nationwide crackdown
Big picture view:
The Georgia cases were among hundreds announced during this year's National Health Care Fraud Takedown, one of the largest coordinated fraud enforcement actions in the country.
Federal prosecutors said some of the schemes involved unnecessary medical procedures, kickback arrangements and fraudulent billing practices that targeted taxpayer-funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
One of the largest cases announced involved an alleged $906 million scheme in Texas. Another centered on an alleged multibillion-dollar operation involving human tissue grafts that prosecutors say generated enormous profits through inflated billing practices.
Since the Justice Department launched its Health Care Fraud Strike Force program in 2007, more than 6,200 defendants have been charged in cases involving more than $45 billion in alleged fraudulent billings.
Georgia officials said protecting Medicaid dollars remains a priority. Since Carr took office, the state's Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division has secured more than 100 convictions involving Medicaid fraud and elder abuse cases while obtaining civil settlements and judgments totaling more than $138 million.