Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§1347 Health Care Fraud
Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 63— MAIL FRAUD AND OTHER FRAUD OFFENSES › § 1347
Summary
It makes it a crime to knowingly and on purpose carry out or try to carry out a plan to cheat a health care benefit program or to get its money or property by lies, fake claims, or false promises. You can be guilty even if you did not know this specific law exists or did not intend to break this particular law.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1347
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Whoever knowingly and willfully executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice—
(1)to defraud any health care benefit program; or
(2)to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any health care benefit program,
(b)With respect to violations of this section, a person need not have actual knowledge of this section or specific intent to commit a violation of this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2010—Pub. L. 111–148 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1347
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60