RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says 243 people have been charged in health care fraud sweeps around the country. That includes doctors, nurses and pharmacy owners accused of bilking Medicare and Medicaid.

Combining all the cases, fraudulent billings allegedly totaled some $712 million.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch says the defendants billed for equipment that wasn’t provided, care that wasn’t needed, and services that weren’t rendered.

While the individual cases may be unrelated, law enforcement agencies often coordinate the announcement of health fraud charges and arrests to send a message to fraudsters and the general public alike.

Health care fraud costs tens of billions of dollars annually.