Justice Department Launches West Coast Strike Force Against Health Care Fraud

The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division announced on April 30, 2026, the creation of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, combining its Health Care Fraud Section with U.S. Attorney's Offices in the District of Arizona, District of Nevada and Northern District of California, per the department's press release.

The strike force focuses on health care fraud schemes across Arizona, Nevada and Northern California, regions that include major population centers like Phoenix, Las Vegas and the San Francisco Bay Area. Nationally, similar strike force models have led to prosecutions of over 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion, according to the press release.

Federal health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, serve approximately 150 million Americans, providing a broad target for fraud that this initiative aims to address in these specific districts.

Before this launch, health care fraud enforcement in these areas relied on individual U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Fraud Division's general operations without a dedicated multi-district strike force. The new structure establishes a coordinated team for investigations and prosecutions, effective immediately following the April 30 announcement.

This model replicates successful efforts in other regions, integrating resources for data analysis, case development and rapid response to emerging fraud patterns.

The strike force will trigger increased scrutiny of health care providers in the targeted districts, leading to potential criminal charges under statutes like the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute. Federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, will collaborate on investigations, accelerating case referrals to prosecutors.

Health care entities in Arizona, Nevada and Northern California now face heightened compliance requirements, with enforcement actions potentially resulting in recoveries for programs like Medicare, which processes over 1 billion claims annually.

This marks the latest expansion of the Justice Department's strike force program, which began in 2007 and has grown to cover multiple regions. The national program has recovered billions in fraudulent payments, with the Fraud Division coordinating similar initiatives in areas like Southern California and the Eastern District of Michigan.