The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it abundantly clear: healthcare fraud remains at the top of its enforcement priorities for 2025 and beyond. In a May 2025 memorandum, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti outlined the Criminal Division’s renewed commitment to “focus, fairness, and efficiency” in the fight against white-collar crime—with healthcare fraud specifically called out as a leading threat.

Healthcare Fraud: Public Enemy Number One

Galeotti’s May 2025 memo, “Focus, Fairness, and Efficiency in the Fight Against White-Collar Crime,” sets the tone for the current administration’s enforcement posture. The memo explicitly identifies “waste, fraud, and abuse, including healthcare fraud and federal program and procurement fraud that harm the public fisc” as the first priority area for the Criminal Division. The memo warns that “rampant healthcare fraud and program and procurement fraud drain our country’s limited resources,” and promises that the DOJ “will lead the fight in holding accountable those who exploit these programs and harm the public fisc for personal gain.”

In June 2025, the DOJ announced the largest health care fraud takedown in U.S. history, charging over 300 individuals—including nearly 100 medical professionals—in schemes involving $14.6 billion in fraudulent claims. These results underscore the DOJ’s commitment to a “whole-of-government” approach, combining criminal and civil enforcement to maximize deterrence and recovery.

Even more recently, in his remarks at the Global Forum on Anti-Corruption and Integrity, Acting AAG Galeotti reiterated that white-collar enforcement such as healthcare fraud remains a top priority, emphasizing the harm such crimes inflict on taxpayers and the healthcare system.

DOJ Expands Healthcare Fraud Enforcement Footprint

The DOJ’s Health Care Fraud Unit currently operates nine Strike Forces across the country, each employing a cross-agency approach that includes the FBI, HHS-OIG, CMS, DEA, and other federal partners. These teams are known for prosecuting large and complex healthcare fraud cases, often involving hundreds of millions of dollars in losses and sophisticated money laundering operations. The Strike Force model is designed to accelerate the detection, investigation, and prosecution of fraud, ensuring that both individual and corporate actors are held accountable.

Announced in September 2025, this move brings the DOJ’s New England Strike Force to the District of Massachusetts, a region recognized as a national leader in healthcare and life sciences. The expansion brings enhanced federal enforcement resources to a state with a long track record of high-impact healthcare fraud investigations and prosecutions.

The False Claims Act: Still the DOJ’s Weapon of Choice

The FCA remains the government’s most powerful tool for recovering taxpayer dollars lost to fraud, waste, and abuse in federal healthcare programs. The DOJ’s recent structural changes and continued investment in FCA enforcement infrastructure signal that healthcare providers, payers, and related entities should expect sustained—and likely increased—FCA scrutiny. Robust compliance, early detection, and voluntary self-disclosure remain the best defenses against the significant risks posed by FCA enforcement actions.

DOJ and HHS Launch New False Claims Act Working Group

On July 2, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced  the creation of the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group, an interagency initiative aimed at strengthening the government’s civil enforcement of the False Claims Act (FCA) in the healthcare space. As we explained in an earlier blog post, “While the DOJ and HHS have long worked together to combat fraud, this Working Group marks a formalized, tightly coordinated effort focused on high-impact enforcement areas” and  “is a clear warning shot: healthcare enforcement is becoming more sophisticated, more targeted, and more collaborative.” 

Preparing for Heightened DOJ Scrutiny—Key Steps for Providers and Compliance Professionals

The message from DOJ leadership indicates that health care fraud enforcement is not only here to stay, but is intensifying. Providers and compliance professionals should take note of several key takeaways:

• Prioritize robust compliance programs that emphasize early detection and remediation of potential fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Consider voluntary self-disclosure and encourage cooperation, as DOJ policies increasingly reward proactive compliance efforts.
• Monitor DOJ policy updates and enforcement trends, especially as the Department continues to refine its approach to corporate resolutions, monitorships, and whistleblower incentives.

By taking these steps, healthcare organizations can better manage risk and demonstrate a commitment to integrity in an era of increased federal oversight.