By Ayla Ellison

A retired physician in Maryland says the government is garnishing his pension after someone stole his identity and fraudulently billed Medicare for $18,000.

Jon White, MD, a retired surgeon, said that a person who claimed to have a medical office in Dupont Circle, a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., submitted the fraudulent claims. However, there isn't a medical office at the address the person provided.

Dr. White, who worked at the VA Medical Center for nearly 30 years, said he doesn't know who submitted the claims to Medicare. To help track down the person and figure out where the payments were sent sent, Dr. White enlisted the help of local police. He has also reached out to a fraud investigator with HHS' Office of Inspector General.

In recent years, the Department of Justice has cracked down on fraudulent billing and other types of healthcare fraud. Of the $2.8 billion the Justice Department recovered from False Claims Act cases in 2018, $2.5 billion involved the healthcare industry.