On September 23, 2025, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced the expansion of its Health Care Fraud Unit’s New England Strike Force to the District of Massachusetts. The move brings additional federal enforcement resources to a region with a high concentration of healthcare providers and life sciences companies.
According to the announcement, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has handled a number of healthcare fraud cases involving pharmaceutical and medical device companies, providers, and corporate executives. In fiscal year 2025, the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit and Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit recovered more than $450 million in fraud-related settlements and judgments.
The Department stated that this expansion builds on the US Attorney’s Office’s prior enforcement activity and leverages the Strike Force model—teams of specialized prosecutors and federal agents that use data analysis and interagency collaboration to identify and pursue healthcare fraud.
“Boston is home to a wide range of healthcare institutions and companies, making it an active region in the national healthcare landscape,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The expansion of the New England Strike Force to Boston will ensure that we are focused and coordinated in addressing criminal misconduct in the healthcare marketplace.”
“The US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts has a long history of working on healthcare fraud enforcement,” said US Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “The Strike Force model will increase resources and help support our ongoing efforts.”
The New England Strike Force was originally launched in June 2022 and is led by Fraud Section Assistant Chief Kevin Lowell. In Massachusetts, it will coordinate with the US Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, led by Chief Mackenzie Queenin. Participating agencies include the FBI, HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and state-level partners such as the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts.
The Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit has stated that this expansion continues its focus on both individual and corporate enforcement. In addition to recent activity in Massachusetts, the Unit led a nationwide takedown in June 2025 involving a large number of coordinated healthcare fraud charges and has announced resolutions with multiple companies related to systemic billing and compliance failures.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
The Department of Justice continues to expand enforcement efforts targeting healthcare fraud, including schemes involving false billing, kickbacks, and other violations that affect federally funded healthcare programs. Recent enforcement activity underscores the importance of maintaining strong, organization-wide compliance programs. Healthcare providers must remain proactive in preventing fraud, waste, and abuse to protect residents and patients, preserve government resources, and meet regulatory obligations.
Discussion Points
- Ensure your facility’s compliance and ethics program includes clear policies and procedures to prevent, detect, and respond to healthcare fraud. Regularly review and update these policies to stay current with new risks and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Consider working with a qualified consultant to help assess existing policies, identify risk areas, and support the development of focused compliance strategies tailored to your facility’s needs.
- Provide initial and ongoing training to all staff on recognizing and reporting fraud, waste, and abuse. Staff should be able to identify common risk areas in healthcare settings and understand the importance of ethical practices. Med-Net Academy offers the course, Origin of Fraud, which covers the roles of federal enforcement agencies such as the OIG and DOJ, the function of fraud strike forces, CMS enforcement processes, the fundamentals of compliance programs, and what to do if contacted by government investigators.
- Conduct periodic audits to evaluate adherence to compliance protocols, assess risk areas, and identify potential regulatory concerns. Facilities may benefit from external support when conducting focused reviews or mock surveys, especially in preparation for regulatory inspections or when addressing areas identified through the QAPI process. Use audit results to guide improvement plans and reinforce staff accountability.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, Inc. for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*