In a shocking case of fraud, two Florida executives, Cory Lloyd and Steven Strong, were sentenced to 20 years in prison for their role in a massive $233 million Obamacare fraud scheme. The scheme targeted Florida's most vulnerable residents, including the homeless, jobless, and hurricane victims, who were lured into signing up for health insurance plans with false promises and misleading information. Lloyd and Strong, the president of a Florida insurance brokerage firm and the CEO of a marketing company, respectively, profited handsomely from the scheme, using the proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles, an 80-foot yacht, and an oceanfront home in the Florida Keys. The pair were convicted of conspiracy and fraud, and ordered to pay $180.6 million in restitution to their victims. The scheme involved lying and falsifying government forms to obtain coverage for individuals, and lying to or bribing would-be enrollees to sign up for plans even when they knew doing so would cost them their existing insurance coverage. The impact of the fraud was devastating, causing individuals to lose access to life-saving treatments for opioid use disorders, mental health disorders, and serious infectious diseases. The Justice Department has moved aggressively to crack down on healthcare fraud, and this sentencing is a significant victory in the fight against fraud.
