On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the results of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging 455 defendants in alleged schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims. The announcement is notable not only for its size, but for what it says about the maturation of health care fraud enforcement. DOJ has been talking about data analytics and whole-of-government coordination for years. This year’s Takedown suggests those concepts are no longer just aspirational talking points – they are increasingly the operating model, with data used earlier and more aggressively, familiar priorities like opioids joined by fast-emerging targets like allografts and skin grafts, and DOJ’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED) positioned as a coordinating hub.
The Numbers: Smaller Than 2025, Still…
This type of fraud targets the supply chain and accounts payable departments of businesses.
- Invoice Manipulation: Criminals intercept a legitimate invoice between a supplier and a client and change the banking details to their own. The client pays the bill thinking they are paying their trusted vendor.
- Kickbacks and Bribery: A vendor secretly pays an employee of the purchasing company to ensure their bid is successful or to overlook inflated pricing.