The federal government will continue its intensified efforts to crack down on healthcare fraud cases involving program exclusions and civil monetary penalties, according to officials.

The Office of Inspector General has investigated more CMP-related fraud cases during the past fiscal year, OIG Chief Counsel Gregory Demske said during an Oct. 26 presentation at the Healthcare Enforcement Compliance Institute meeting in Washington, D.C. During that time, he added, the OIG resolved 110 exclusion and CMP fraud cases.

The trend will continue, Demske predicted, especially with the office’s recent addition of a litigation team to handle fraud cases related to Medicare and Medicaid. The OIG also will display a renewed focus on holding individuals responsible for fraud cases, rather than settling with corporations, Demske said, according to a report in Bloomberg BNA. The Department of Justice introduced the policy of holding individuals accountable in September.