Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - Federal agents deserve a pat on the back this week as they have managed to shut down the largest health-care fraud operation in history, one that led to $251 million in false Medicare claims.

The U.S. Justice Department charged 94 people in total this week in connection with this absolutely massive fraud operation.

The operation spanned 5 different states in the U.S., with all of them reportedly being in connection to this system that led to over $251 million in false claims to Medicare.

These people charged are not everyday citizens either, they include the owners of major health care businesses, doctors, and many others.

There is a great deal of cohesiveness to these fraud schemes with money coming in and going out to anyone who would help them carry out their scheme.

There were roughly 40 arrests made by the end of the day on Friday.

This is a scary thing considering how much Medicare and the health care industry in general make up the U.S. gross-domestic product (GDP). Health care is our biggest industry and costs our government an incredible amount of money, and to think that it could be taken advantage of in this way is wrong on so many levels.

With so many Americans relying on Medicare, it appears that the system is now much safer thanks to the work of the U.S. federal agents who are bringing those responsible for the fraud to justice.