DOJ Launches West Coast Strike Force to Target Health Care Fraud
The DOJ unveiled a new West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force covering Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California.
Why it matters: Federal authorities are escalating enforcement against health care fraud in the western U.S., increasing regulatory and legal risks for health systems and their counsel as fraud schemes grow more sophisticated and tech-driven.
- Announced April 30, 2026, the Strike Force focuses on Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California.
- Partnership involves DOJ Fraud Division and U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the region.
- Recent cases: $1.2B Medicare fraud in Arizona and a $100M digital health scheme in Northern California.
- Health Care Fraud Strike Force model has led to over 6,200 prosecutions totaling $45B in fraudulent claims.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 30, 2026, announced its latest regional enforcement effort: a West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force covering Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California. The initiative is designed to tackle a surge in complex health care fraud, especially in Medicare and Medicaid, and will leverage collaboration among the DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney's Offices for the region.
- The move follows a string of major fraud prosecutions, including the December 2025 sentencing of two Arizona wound graft company owners behind a $1.2 billion Medicare and Medicaid fraud and the November 2025 conviction of Northern California digital health executives in a $100 million scheme involving illegal Adderall distribution.
- Strike Force partnerships operate as a "force multiplier," said Scott J. Lampert, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at HHS-OIG, by using coordinated, data-driven strategies across agencies like HHS-OIG, FBI, and DEA.
- Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald emphasized, "No scheme is too sophisticated, no network too large or small, and no fraudster too distant to escape federal accountability."
The announcement comes amid the rise of tech-driven health care fraud. "Silicon Valley has become ground zero for technology-driven health care fraud schemes that seek to cheat taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare," said Craig H. Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.
The Strike Force builds on DOJ's prior successes, including the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which charged 324 defendants nationwide in schemes involving over $14.6 billion in alleged losses.
For legal and compliance professionals, the DOJ’s emphasis on collaboration and data analytics signals a more aggressive approach to investigating health care fraud across the western U.S.
By the numbers:
- 6,200+ defendants — prosecutions under the Strike Force model
- $45B+ — fraudulent claims billed to federal and private insurers via Strike Force cases
- 324 defendants — charged in the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
Yes, but: Specific operational strategies and initial targets for the new Strike Force have not been disclosed.