WHEELING, W.Va. — United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld said when he previously served in his current role from 2010-2016 he knew healthcare fraud was an issue, but after his time in the private sector the last couple of years, the time has really shed light on what was happening.

Ihlenfeld, who was named United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia in 2021 after serving in the West Virginia Senate, launched a new initiative to combat health care fraud in the state this week.

State and federal agencies gathered at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Wheeling for the first meeting of the Mountaineer Health Care Fraud Strike Force, a unit that will take a data-driven approach to uncovering waste and abuse. Representatives from seven different agencies discussed fraudulent billing patterns and new targets were identified as a result.

“I realized it was even greater in scope than I had realized previously,” Ihlenfeld told MetroNews about being in the private sector. “I know the U.S. Attorney’s office needed to do more to combat this problem.”

In addition to its analytical work, the Strike Force will engage with providers and insurers so that there is a better understanding on how to recognize and report health care fraud, a release said.

“To make sure that we’re on the same page and if they see something that they suspect is fraudulent and violates federal criminal law or federal civil law, that they are contacting us. Allowing us to help them with the...

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