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better wake up America
- Thread starter hedgehog
- Start date
Dr James = Gumby
Health Care=
Insurance Copanies deep into pockets of most Republicans election funds. Why are Repubs fighting so hard. oh yeh I see it obvious
Drug Companies - stealing from America for years.
Pills cost them .02 cents each they sell them for
90 dollars for 30 pills .
Drug companies pay doctors to prescribe their pills.
Doctors - Stealing from America for many years
medicare and medicade hosed by doctors for extra cash
Insurance Cos - Stealing from America for many many years. If your well they will insure you, if you have pre condition... forget about it
Hospitals - Stealing from America for many many many years
Send out bills that no one can read or understand.
Overcharge for everything they give out include aspiran. Approxiamte cost per day 5 grand
yeh we dont need no changes dumb ass
Health Care=
Insurance Copanies deep into pockets of most Republicans election funds. Why are Repubs fighting so hard. oh yeh I see it obvious
Drug Companies - stealing from America for years.
Pills cost them .02 cents each they sell them for
90 dollars for 30 pills .
Drug companies pay doctors to prescribe their pills.
Doctors - Stealing from America for many years
medicare and medicade hosed by doctors for extra cash
Insurance Cos - Stealing from America for many many years. If your well they will insure you, if you have pre condition... forget about it
Hospitals - Stealing from America for many many many years
Send out bills that no one can read or understand.
Overcharge for everything they give out include aspiran. Approxiamte cost per day 5 grand
yeh we dont need no changes dumb ass
Last edited:
Doctor and assistants jailed for Medicare fraud
A racket that filed false claims for unnecessary HIV infusion therapy led to the imprisonment of three on Friday
August 4, 2009
A doctor and a physician's assistant are going to prison for eight years for their roles in a Miami-Dade racket that billed Medicare $11 million in false claims for obsolete HIV services that were not provided to patients.
Dr. Keith Russell, 65, and Jorge Luis Pacheco, 50, were also ordered Friday by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro to pay back $3.1 million and $2.6 million, respectively, to the federal healthcare program.
The judge also sentenced another physician's assistant, Eda Marietta Milanes, 43, to five years' imprisonment and to pay back $3.1 million.
All three -- along with another Miami physician, David Rothman, 67 -- were convicted in March of conspiring to defraud Medicare and other charges in a case that stood out because Pacheco tried to flee the country near the end of the trial. Four others charged in the case -- investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General and the FBI -- pleaded guilty before trial.
Rothman, whose sentencing is pending, and Russell are part of a growing list of South Florida doctors and assistants convicted of billing Medicare for hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent claims for outdated HIV infusion therapy administered intravenously.
That therapy was replaced about 15 years ago by more effective antiretroviral drugs taken orally, experts say, yet Medicare continues to pay for the infusion therapy because the agency still considers it ``medically reasonable and necessary.''
Medicare officials say the agency has stopped about $2 billion in ``improper payments''
for bogus HIV infusion services in South Florida over the past five years, but the agency and its Florida claims contractor, First Coast Service Options, continue to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
In the latest prosecution, Russell, Rothman, Pacheco and Milanes served as the medical staff for two Miami-Dade clinics: M&P Group of South Florida and Medcore Group.
The owner of the clinics, Tony Marrero, testified that Rothman was paid $200,000 and Russell $40,000 for writing prescriptions for the outdated intravenous HIV therapy from 2004 to 2006.
Marrero, who owned the clinics with his wife, Belkis, saidhe paid $200 kickbacks to patients for each visit to use their Medicare numbers to submit the bogus bills. One patient testified that he did not have HIV, and another said he used the money to fund a cocaine addiction.
He also testified the medical assistants manipulated blood platelet levels in patient records to justify their treatments to Medicare, and that he obtained fake invoices from a drug wholesaler to show that his clinics had provided the infusion drugs to patients.
Marrero admitted the racket's criminal activity was ``despicable.''
Pacheco, a former physician in Cuba, tried to flee the United States before the jury began its deliberations in mid-March. He was arrested in the Homestead area with $12,600 in cash and a false Florida driver's license in the name of ``Jose Luis Falcon,'' authorities said.
Before his arrest, Pacheco cut off his ankle monitor in violation of the terms of his bond, and documents seized from him contained multiple contacts in the Dominican Republic, according to prosecutors Kirk Ogrosky and Jay Darden.
Pacheco told police that he was ``going fishing.''
.................................................................
This is the tip of the iceberg
Is anyone so stupid as not to see this .
Obama sees it . The only President in so many years willing to fight the power of the big stealers.
YES WE CAN !
They are sending us into bankruptcy sooner than later. This has got to stop.
:shrug: :shrug:
A racket that filed false claims for unnecessary HIV infusion therapy led to the imprisonment of three on Friday
August 4, 2009
A doctor and a physician's assistant are going to prison for eight years for their roles in a Miami-Dade racket that billed Medicare $11 million in false claims for obsolete HIV services that were not provided to patients.
Dr. Keith Russell, 65, and Jorge Luis Pacheco, 50, were also ordered Friday by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro to pay back $3.1 million and $2.6 million, respectively, to the federal healthcare program.
The judge also sentenced another physician's assistant, Eda Marietta Milanes, 43, to five years' imprisonment and to pay back $3.1 million.
All three -- along with another Miami physician, David Rothman, 67 -- were convicted in March of conspiring to defraud Medicare and other charges in a case that stood out because Pacheco tried to flee the country near the end of the trial. Four others charged in the case -- investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General and the FBI -- pleaded guilty before trial.
Rothman, whose sentencing is pending, and Russell are part of a growing list of South Florida doctors and assistants convicted of billing Medicare for hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent claims for outdated HIV infusion therapy administered intravenously.
That therapy was replaced about 15 years ago by more effective antiretroviral drugs taken orally, experts say, yet Medicare continues to pay for the infusion therapy because the agency still considers it ``medically reasonable and necessary.''
Medicare officials say the agency has stopped about $2 billion in ``improper payments''
for bogus HIV infusion services in South Florida over the past five years, but the agency and its Florida claims contractor, First Coast Service Options, continue to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
In the latest prosecution, Russell, Rothman, Pacheco and Milanes served as the medical staff for two Miami-Dade clinics: M&P Group of South Florida and Medcore Group.
The owner of the clinics, Tony Marrero, testified that Rothman was paid $200,000 and Russell $40,000 for writing prescriptions for the outdated intravenous HIV therapy from 2004 to 2006.
Marrero, who owned the clinics with his wife, Belkis, saidhe paid $200 kickbacks to patients for each visit to use their Medicare numbers to submit the bogus bills. One patient testified that he did not have HIV, and another said he used the money to fund a cocaine addiction.
He also testified the medical assistants manipulated blood platelet levels in patient records to justify their treatments to Medicare, and that he obtained fake invoices from a drug wholesaler to show that his clinics had provided the infusion drugs to patients.
Marrero admitted the racket's criminal activity was ``despicable.''
Pacheco, a former physician in Cuba, tried to flee the United States before the jury began its deliberations in mid-March. He was arrested in the Homestead area with $12,600 in cash and a false Florida driver's license in the name of ``Jose Luis Falcon,'' authorities said.
Before his arrest, Pacheco cut off his ankle monitor in violation of the terms of his bond, and documents seized from him contained multiple contacts in the Dominican Republic, according to prosecutors Kirk Ogrosky and Jay Darden.
Pacheco told police that he was ``going fishing.''
.................................................................
This is the tip of the iceberg
Is anyone so stupid as not to see this .
Obama sees it . The only President in so many years willing to fight the power of the big stealers.
YES WE CAN !
They are sending us into bankruptcy sooner than later. This has got to stop.
:shrug: :shrug:
Last edited:
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Hospital Billing Errors and Fraud
Simple mistakes in billing made during or after your hospital stay can cost you a bundle or even ruin you financially
In a system as complex as our medical billing system errors are bound to be made. Sometimes they are honest human errors that occur when someone accidently pushes in the wrong code. Catching that error may be difficult to impossible but if you are stuck with a surprisingly large bill and then your insurance company refuses to pay all of it you may find yourself in a world of hurt.
Even the simplest medical procedure can cost tens of thousands of dollars. One error could add several thousand dollars to an already hefty bill. Even if your insurance does cover the entire bill the excess cost will be passed along to you eventually in the form of higher insurance premiums so it's in everyone's best interest to detect and correct hospital billing errors.
Finding billing errors will be no easy task
Hospital bills can be very complicated and unless you are a medical professional yourself you will undoubtedly be confused by some of the items and services listed. Don't be intimidated by this because some of the errors will be more than obvious to even an untrained eye. If you've gone to the hospital to have your tonsils removed and see a reference to chemo-therapy it's going to stand out on the bill. Don't be afraid to make some phone calls to question this. You might have to pay for it yourself if your insurance refuses to pay it. Medical-related debt ranks second among causes for personal bankruptcy in the United States, after credit card debt. That's partly because even if you are insured you may have to pay 20% of your bill out-of-pocket. A single error could cost you hundred or even thousands of dollars.
Some of the errors may be more difficult to identify and the item may be valid even if the amount billed for it is not. Overcharges are one of the most common billing errors. Duplication is another common billing mistake. If you see the same charge listed more than once you should ask the hospital why. It may be a valid charge but this error is so common you shouldn't let it go unchallenged.
The most common billing errors
Below you'll find the most common medical billing errors and what you can do to protect yourself:
Repeat billing: ensure you haven't been charged twice for the same procedure, supplies or medications.
Length of stay: Double check the dates of your admission and discharge. Were you charged for the day you checked out? Most hospitals will charge for the day you arrived, but not for day you left.
Correct charge for type of room: If you were in a shared room, confirm you're not being charged for a private one.
Time in OR: Sometimes hospitals charge based on an "average" time needed to perform an operation. Contrast the charge you received against your anesthesiologist's records.
Up coding: Happens when a doctor changes an order for medication and/or service from an expensive version to one that costs less, like generic medications. And yet you're billed at the higher rate. And sometimes you're billed for both. Keep on top of this one; it's the most widespread of all the common billing errors.
Keystroke mistake: Happens to the best of us, an innocent slip up on the keyboard that can result in significant overcharges or in some cases an undercharge.
Canceled service: Occasionally a medication, procedure or service that was prearranged and then canceled later will still show up on your final invoice.
When you receive the billing from your hospital you should look to see if you were billed for services you never received. Did you get every service, treatment and medication for which you are being billed? Check your log carefully.
If you find errors, contact your provider's billing office and your insurer. If they are of no help and the discrepancies are significant, you may want to turn to trained professionals who will help you analyze the bill and negotiate for you.
You can also get help from the consumer protection office of your state's attorney general.
According to comments made by Bill Hahon of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, "These professionals have sprung up because there are so many errors. They are saving people money, and sometimes it's a lot of money."
Medical Billing Advocates of America is one of professional companies mentioned by Mr. Hahon. Based in Salem, Va., it operates in 18 states and the District of Columbia. These companies often work on a contingency basis, indicating they get paid a percentage of the total amount they save you. However, that percentage often runs as high as half, so make sure you understand their charges before putting them to work.
You can find others firms in this line of work if you do an Internet search under "hospital bill review."
Medical Billing Fraud
The federal Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees Medicare, is also taking a hard look at hospital overbilling because they estimate that the government loses 30 cents to every dollar from fraudulent practices in the medical community. Hospitals, doctors and other medical professionals think part of the blame lies with the complexity of the system itself. There are over 45,000 pages of Medicare regulations but the HCFA cites specific practices like "unbundling" services to raise consumer costs. "Unbundling" refers to billing treatments separately which are normally billed as a single, combined charge.
Health care service contractors often complain that their staff is over-worked due to the sheer volume of claims they process. This is debatable since HCFA provides funds to help process and monitor bundled claims. While it is the responsibility of these health service contractors to catch mistakes the ultimate responsibility for filing correctly lies with the hospital.
Non-Profits get in on the gravy train
It is also alleged that many not-for-profit hospitals habitually overcharge uninsured and underinsured patients while maintaining their tax exempt status in the United States. While avoiding taxation, the hospitals continue to accumulate profit by charging patients with anything but charitable rates.
These hospitals have engaged in the practice of charging inflated and inordinate rates for medical care to uninsured patients, while providing discounts to insured patients and those on Medicare or Medicaid. Also, the hospitals routinely utilize aggressive, abusive, and oppressive collection practices to recover this inflated medical debt. These practices include lawsuits filed against patients who are poor and indigent.
..............................................................
Simple mistakes in billing made during or after your hospital stay can cost you a bundle or even ruin you financially
In a system as complex as our medical billing system errors are bound to be made. Sometimes they are honest human errors that occur when someone accidently pushes in the wrong code. Catching that error may be difficult to impossible but if you are stuck with a surprisingly large bill and then your insurance company refuses to pay all of it you may find yourself in a world of hurt.
Even the simplest medical procedure can cost tens of thousands of dollars. One error could add several thousand dollars to an already hefty bill. Even if your insurance does cover the entire bill the excess cost will be passed along to you eventually in the form of higher insurance premiums so it's in everyone's best interest to detect and correct hospital billing errors.
Finding billing errors will be no easy task
Hospital bills can be very complicated and unless you are a medical professional yourself you will undoubtedly be confused by some of the items and services listed. Don't be intimidated by this because some of the errors will be more than obvious to even an untrained eye. If you've gone to the hospital to have your tonsils removed and see a reference to chemo-therapy it's going to stand out on the bill. Don't be afraid to make some phone calls to question this. You might have to pay for it yourself if your insurance refuses to pay it. Medical-related debt ranks second among causes for personal bankruptcy in the United States, after credit card debt. That's partly because even if you are insured you may have to pay 20% of your bill out-of-pocket. A single error could cost you hundred or even thousands of dollars.
Some of the errors may be more difficult to identify and the item may be valid even if the amount billed for it is not. Overcharges are one of the most common billing errors. Duplication is another common billing mistake. If you see the same charge listed more than once you should ask the hospital why. It may be a valid charge but this error is so common you shouldn't let it go unchallenged.
The most common billing errors
Below you'll find the most common medical billing errors and what you can do to protect yourself:
Repeat billing: ensure you haven't been charged twice for the same procedure, supplies or medications.
Length of stay: Double check the dates of your admission and discharge. Were you charged for the day you checked out? Most hospitals will charge for the day you arrived, but not for day you left.
Correct charge for type of room: If you were in a shared room, confirm you're not being charged for a private one.
Time in OR: Sometimes hospitals charge based on an "average" time needed to perform an operation. Contrast the charge you received against your anesthesiologist's records.
Up coding: Happens when a doctor changes an order for medication and/or service from an expensive version to one that costs less, like generic medications. And yet you're billed at the higher rate. And sometimes you're billed for both. Keep on top of this one; it's the most widespread of all the common billing errors.
Keystroke mistake: Happens to the best of us, an innocent slip up on the keyboard that can result in significant overcharges or in some cases an undercharge.
Canceled service: Occasionally a medication, procedure or service that was prearranged and then canceled later will still show up on your final invoice.
When you receive the billing from your hospital you should look to see if you were billed for services you never received. Did you get every service, treatment and medication for which you are being billed? Check your log carefully.
If you find errors, contact your provider's billing office and your insurer. If they are of no help and the discrepancies are significant, you may want to turn to trained professionals who will help you analyze the bill and negotiate for you.
You can also get help from the consumer protection office of your state's attorney general.
According to comments made by Bill Hahon of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, "These professionals have sprung up because there are so many errors. They are saving people money, and sometimes it's a lot of money."
Medical Billing Advocates of America is one of professional companies mentioned by Mr. Hahon. Based in Salem, Va., it operates in 18 states and the District of Columbia. These companies often work on a contingency basis, indicating they get paid a percentage of the total amount they save you. However, that percentage often runs as high as half, so make sure you understand their charges before putting them to work.
You can find others firms in this line of work if you do an Internet search under "hospital bill review."
Medical Billing Fraud
The federal Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees Medicare, is also taking a hard look at hospital overbilling because they estimate that the government loses 30 cents to every dollar from fraudulent practices in the medical community. Hospitals, doctors and other medical professionals think part of the blame lies with the complexity of the system itself. There are over 45,000 pages of Medicare regulations but the HCFA cites specific practices like "unbundling" services to raise consumer costs. "Unbundling" refers to billing treatments separately which are normally billed as a single, combined charge.
Health care service contractors often complain that their staff is over-worked due to the sheer volume of claims they process. This is debatable since HCFA provides funds to help process and monitor bundled claims. While it is the responsibility of these health service contractors to catch mistakes the ultimate responsibility for filing correctly lies with the hospital.
Non-Profits get in on the gravy train
It is also alleged that many not-for-profit hospitals habitually overcharge uninsured and underinsured patients while maintaining their tax exempt status in the United States. While avoiding taxation, the hospitals continue to accumulate profit by charging patients with anything but charitable rates.
These hospitals have engaged in the practice of charging inflated and inordinate rates for medical care to uninsured patients, while providing discounts to insured patients and those on Medicare or Medicaid. Also, the hospitals routinely utilize aggressive, abusive, and oppressive collection practices to recover this inflated medical debt. These practices include lawsuits filed against patients who are poor and indigent.
..............................................................
Sarah Palin speaks out for the first time after resigning from her post as Governor of Alaska! Ms. Pain is concerned that Obama's heathcare reform will affect her precious child, Trig. Trig has special needs as he was born with Down's Syndrome. Ms. Palin expresses concerns in several other areas as well.
.............................................................
:142smilie :142smilie
Listen Sarah, just take the million you are getting from your book deal and pay for your health insurance.
Sarah cares about the uninsured :142smilie
.............................................................
:142smilie :142smilie
Listen Sarah, just take the million you are getting from your book deal and pay for your health insurance.
Sarah cares about the uninsured :142smilie
Compare PricesDrugmakers ready $150 million for Obama plan
Boost would halt efforts to derail health-care overhaul
updated 2:17 p.m. ET, Sat., Aug 8, 2009
WASHINGTON - U.S. drugmakers stand ready to spend $150 million to help President Barack Obama overhaul health care this fall, according to numerous officials, a staggering sum that could dwarf attempts to derail Obama's top domestic priority.
The White House and allies in Congress are well aware of the effort by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a somewhat surprising political alliance, given the drug industry's recent history of siding with Republicans and the Democrats' disdain for special interests.
The campaign, now in its early stages, includes television advertising under PhRMA's own name and commercials aired in conjunction with the liberal group, Families USA.
Numerous people with knowledge of PhRMA's plans said they had been told it would likely reach $150 million and perhaps $200 million. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to divulge details.
Additionally, the industry is the major contributor to Healthy Economy Now, which recently completed a $12 million round of advertising nationally and in several states. The ads were made by firms with close ties to Democrats and the White House and generally reflected the administration's changing rhetoric on health care.
In an interview, Ken Johnson, senior vice president of PhRMA, said, "We will have a significant presence over the August recess, both on television and newspapers and on radio, but we have not finalized details for our fall campaign."
Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said the partnership with the deep-pocketed drug industry is one of mutual self-interest, even though the two groups disagree on numerous issues. "We want to achieve coverage for everyone. For PhRMA, this would improve volume for prescription sales because everyone" would have better access to medicine, he said.
Health care's angry protesters
Aug. 8: MSNBC's Alex Witt talks with conservative blogger Liz Mair and The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim about health care protesters comparing President Obama to Hitler.
msnbc tv
Any health care bill that makes it to Obama's desk is expected to extend health insurance to the nearly 50 million who now lack it. That would mean a huge new pool of potential customers for drug companies and other health care providers. That, in turn, has created an incentive to offer concessions to the White House and lawmakers in hopes of shaping the bill, rather than simply opposing it.
Drugmakers were the first group to reach agreement with the White House and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, announcing several weeks ago that they would absorb $80 billion in costs over a decade.
Even before the announcement, according to several individuals, the White House sought help from PhRMA in passing legislation.
Now, with the legislation under attack, the industry is providing key support during August as Republicans work to inflict a high-profile defeat on the president.
A significantly more ambitious advertising effort by PhRMA is expected to begin near Labor Day.
Jim Messina, a deputy White House chief of staff who is deeply involved in the administration's health care effort, brought Democratic senators up to date recently on the help PhRMA, labor unions and other outside groups are providing.
Click for related content
Obama ties economy to health care reform
Read more news from across the U.S.
At the same time, the drugmakers are counting on the White House to block efforts by House Democrats to extract more than $80 billion from their industry in the legislation.
The partnership is complicated because many Democrats in both the House and Senate oppose key goals of the drug industry. Liberals, in particular, favor the importation of prescription medicine from Canada and other countries. They also want the government to have authority to negotiate directly with companies for lower drug prices under Medicare.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, has been critical of drug manufacturers, and Rep. Henry Waxman, also a California Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said several weeks ago the House was not bound by PhRMA and Baucus' agreement
.............................................................
Wait a minute now.
Why would this company want to give money like 150 million to help out.
Because they already made 500 billion over the last 30 years.
150 million :142smilie :142smilie
Boost would halt efforts to derail health-care overhaul
updated 2:17 p.m. ET, Sat., Aug 8, 2009
WASHINGTON - U.S. drugmakers stand ready to spend $150 million to help President Barack Obama overhaul health care this fall, according to numerous officials, a staggering sum that could dwarf attempts to derail Obama's top domestic priority.
The White House and allies in Congress are well aware of the effort by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a somewhat surprising political alliance, given the drug industry's recent history of siding with Republicans and the Democrats' disdain for special interests.
The campaign, now in its early stages, includes television advertising under PhRMA's own name and commercials aired in conjunction with the liberal group, Families USA.
Numerous people with knowledge of PhRMA's plans said they had been told it would likely reach $150 million and perhaps $200 million. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to divulge details.
Additionally, the industry is the major contributor to Healthy Economy Now, which recently completed a $12 million round of advertising nationally and in several states. The ads were made by firms with close ties to Democrats and the White House and generally reflected the administration's changing rhetoric on health care.
In an interview, Ken Johnson, senior vice president of PhRMA, said, "We will have a significant presence over the August recess, both on television and newspapers and on radio, but we have not finalized details for our fall campaign."
Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said the partnership with the deep-pocketed drug industry is one of mutual self-interest, even though the two groups disagree on numerous issues. "We want to achieve coverage for everyone. For PhRMA, this would improve volume for prescription sales because everyone" would have better access to medicine, he said.
Health care's angry protesters
Aug. 8: MSNBC's Alex Witt talks with conservative blogger Liz Mair and The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim about health care protesters comparing President Obama to Hitler.
msnbc tv
Any health care bill that makes it to Obama's desk is expected to extend health insurance to the nearly 50 million who now lack it. That would mean a huge new pool of potential customers for drug companies and other health care providers. That, in turn, has created an incentive to offer concessions to the White House and lawmakers in hopes of shaping the bill, rather than simply opposing it.
Drugmakers were the first group to reach agreement with the White House and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, announcing several weeks ago that they would absorb $80 billion in costs over a decade.
Even before the announcement, according to several individuals, the White House sought help from PhRMA in passing legislation.
Now, with the legislation under attack, the industry is providing key support during August as Republicans work to inflict a high-profile defeat on the president.
A significantly more ambitious advertising effort by PhRMA is expected to begin near Labor Day.
Jim Messina, a deputy White House chief of staff who is deeply involved in the administration's health care effort, brought Democratic senators up to date recently on the help PhRMA, labor unions and other outside groups are providing.
Click for related content
Obama ties economy to health care reform
Read more news from across the U.S.
At the same time, the drugmakers are counting on the White House to block efforts by House Democrats to extract more than $80 billion from their industry in the legislation.
The partnership is complicated because many Democrats in both the House and Senate oppose key goals of the drug industry. Liberals, in particular, favor the importation of prescription medicine from Canada and other countries. They also want the government to have authority to negotiate directly with companies for lower drug prices under Medicare.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, has been critical of drug manufacturers, and Rep. Henry Waxman, also a California Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said several weeks ago the House was not bound by PhRMA and Baucus' agreement
.............................................................
Wait a minute now.
Why would this company want to give money like 150 million to help out.
Because they already made 500 billion over the last 30 years.
150 million :142smilie :142smilie
This is so obvious that cartoon writers make fun
of it :SIB
Better wake up America. hedge is right on the money.
well kinda
as usual he is on the wrong side.
Blatant Medicare fraud costs taxpayers billions
Officials say outrageous fraud schemes are 'off the charts'
Dec. 10, 2007 : 'Off the charts' Medicare fraud is fraying the country's social safety net for seniors and the disabled. NBC's Mark Potter reports in the first of a two-part series.
Nightly News
NBC News
updated 7:22 p.m. ET, Tues., Dec . 11, 2007
MIAMI, Florida - On an FBI undercover tape, the fraud was plain to see: A patient came to a South Florida AIDS clinic, signed some papers, walked into an office and was handed $150 in cash. She politely thanked the workers and left, her visit to the doctor finished without ever receiving any treatment.
According to records seized by investigators, the office staff (who was assured of the patient's cooperation) used her name to fraudulently bill Medicare for a list of expensive treatment and medications.
Law enforcement officials said it's just one of the many widespread, organized and lucrative schemes to bilk Medicare out of an estimated $60 billion dollars a year ? a staggering cost borne by American taxpayers.:SIB
Officials say the array of criminals running these schemes are stealing blatantly from the social safety net that cares for 43 million seniors and the disabled, and along the way are hurting honest patients, physicians and legitimate businesses.
:scared :scared
"These people have absolutely nothing to do with health care," said Kirk Ogrosky, a prosecutor with the U.S. Justice Department. "They're thieves that would be committing other types of crimes if they weren't committing Medicare fraud."
Outrageous fraud called "off the charts"
While Medicare fraud is a national scourge, found primarily in large urban areas, federal authorities said the very worst of it these days is in South Florida? particularly in Miami-Dade County.
Most of these schemes, they said, are found in the cities of Miami and Hialeah, where they are often concentrated in parts of the Cuban immigrant community.
After visiting the region, and seeing the extent of the fraud, Michael Leavitt, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said, "In a decade and a half of public service, this was the most disheartening, disgusting day I have ever spent. We have to fix this."
To attack the fraud, the Justice Department this year set up a strike force at a remote office park near Miami, and in just six months prosecutors filed 74 cases charging 120 people with allegedly trying to steal $400 million from Medicare.
While officials claimed the concentrated law enforcement efforts led to a $1.4 billion drop in Medicare billing in the area (another clear indication of the phony nature of many of the earlier claims), they said they have still barely scratched the surface of the fraud schemes involving bogus clinics, fake medicines, and illegitimate medical supply companies.
"The problem is far from solved," said Timothy Delaney, a supervisor for the FBI's Miami office. "For every one owner we arrest, another one pops up, maybe even two, tomorrow. It's so lucrative that we have yet to turn the tide."
Illegal billing for non-existent medical equipment
One of the most common schemes is the illicit billing for DME, or durable medical equipment, such as oxygen generators, breathing machines, air mattresses, walkers, orthopedic braces and wheelchairs. This scheme involves billions of dollars a year in illegal claims.
Raul Lopez, the president of the Florida Association of Medical Equipment and Services and the director of a legitimate medical supply company, said the fraud is so widespread it hurts the many valid DME companies, which are struggling to compete.
"We're here providing services to patients that need healthcare services, and as a result of the fraud our industry is suffering enormously," he said.
Unlike real DME companies, which have showrooms, warehouses, public offices, trained staff and professional record-keeping, the fraudulent companies are usually shell companies with shadowy business practices, hidden owners, and tiny, locked offices which are only there to create the illusion of legitimacy. They rarely have any medical products for actual sale or delivery.
"They're lined up in hallways one after the other, office after office with a locked door, no foot traffic, no employees, no medical equipment," said Ogrosky. "We're talking about billing that goes up in the tens of millions of dollars for places that don't exist."
FBI agents looking for suspected front-companies that Medicare records show are actively billing rarely find much to search. "We often don't see places. We find vacant lots, we see mailboxes, we see an office suite shared by 30 companies. We're not finding legitimate companies where we can go in and do a search warrant," said Delaney.
On a recent trip to some shopping centers and office buildings in the Miami area, FBI agents Brian Waterman and Christopher Macrae knocked on the doors of several purported medical supply companies. Most of the offices were locked during business hours, with no signs of any activity. Calls to the offices went unanswered.
Referring to one of the closed offices, Waterman said, "The amount of money in dollars that this company is billing for in the last month are close to a half million dollars. We're just trying to find out what they're billing for and what they're doing."
Across the street, in another small office complex, the agents found another six supposed supply companies that also were locked. "Building's closed, kinda tough to deliver stuff out of here," Macrae noted. "It doesn't surprise us at all. This is typical."
....................................................................
If you want to get upset about something. Get upset about this.
60 billion stolen and this was back in 2007
Where was George W when this was happening ?
oh yeh bogged down in Iraq.
and the Drug companies offer 150 million for help:SIB :SIB
dont you get it hedge ? its as plain as the nose on your face
Officials say outrageous fraud schemes are 'off the charts'
Dec. 10, 2007 : 'Off the charts' Medicare fraud is fraying the country's social safety net for seniors and the disabled. NBC's Mark Potter reports in the first of a two-part series.
Nightly News
NBC News
updated 7:22 p.m. ET, Tues., Dec . 11, 2007
MIAMI, Florida - On an FBI undercover tape, the fraud was plain to see: A patient came to a South Florida AIDS clinic, signed some papers, walked into an office and was handed $150 in cash. She politely thanked the workers and left, her visit to the doctor finished without ever receiving any treatment.
According to records seized by investigators, the office staff (who was assured of the patient's cooperation) used her name to fraudulently bill Medicare for a list of expensive treatment and medications.
Law enforcement officials said it's just one of the many widespread, organized and lucrative schemes to bilk Medicare out of an estimated $60 billion dollars a year ? a staggering cost borne by American taxpayers.:SIB
Officials say the array of criminals running these schemes are stealing blatantly from the social safety net that cares for 43 million seniors and the disabled, and along the way are hurting honest patients, physicians and legitimate businesses.
:scared :scared
"These people have absolutely nothing to do with health care," said Kirk Ogrosky, a prosecutor with the U.S. Justice Department. "They're thieves that would be committing other types of crimes if they weren't committing Medicare fraud."
Outrageous fraud called "off the charts"
While Medicare fraud is a national scourge, found primarily in large urban areas, federal authorities said the very worst of it these days is in South Florida? particularly in Miami-Dade County.
Most of these schemes, they said, are found in the cities of Miami and Hialeah, where they are often concentrated in parts of the Cuban immigrant community.
After visiting the region, and seeing the extent of the fraud, Michael Leavitt, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said, "In a decade and a half of public service, this was the most disheartening, disgusting day I have ever spent. We have to fix this."
To attack the fraud, the Justice Department this year set up a strike force at a remote office park near Miami, and in just six months prosecutors filed 74 cases charging 120 people with allegedly trying to steal $400 million from Medicare.
While officials claimed the concentrated law enforcement efforts led to a $1.4 billion drop in Medicare billing in the area (another clear indication of the phony nature of many of the earlier claims), they said they have still barely scratched the surface of the fraud schemes involving bogus clinics, fake medicines, and illegitimate medical supply companies.
"The problem is far from solved," said Timothy Delaney, a supervisor for the FBI's Miami office. "For every one owner we arrest, another one pops up, maybe even two, tomorrow. It's so lucrative that we have yet to turn the tide."
Illegal billing for non-existent medical equipment
One of the most common schemes is the illicit billing for DME, or durable medical equipment, such as oxygen generators, breathing machines, air mattresses, walkers, orthopedic braces and wheelchairs. This scheme involves billions of dollars a year in illegal claims.
Raul Lopez, the president of the Florida Association of Medical Equipment and Services and the director of a legitimate medical supply company, said the fraud is so widespread it hurts the many valid DME companies, which are struggling to compete.
"We're here providing services to patients that need healthcare services, and as a result of the fraud our industry is suffering enormously," he said.
Unlike real DME companies, which have showrooms, warehouses, public offices, trained staff and professional record-keeping, the fraudulent companies are usually shell companies with shadowy business practices, hidden owners, and tiny, locked offices which are only there to create the illusion of legitimacy. They rarely have any medical products for actual sale or delivery.
"They're lined up in hallways one after the other, office after office with a locked door, no foot traffic, no employees, no medical equipment," said Ogrosky. "We're talking about billing that goes up in the tens of millions of dollars for places that don't exist."
FBI agents looking for suspected front-companies that Medicare records show are actively billing rarely find much to search. "We often don't see places. We find vacant lots, we see mailboxes, we see an office suite shared by 30 companies. We're not finding legitimate companies where we can go in and do a search warrant," said Delaney.
On a recent trip to some shopping centers and office buildings in the Miami area, FBI agents Brian Waterman and Christopher Macrae knocked on the doors of several purported medical supply companies. Most of the offices were locked during business hours, with no signs of any activity. Calls to the offices went unanswered.
Referring to one of the closed offices, Waterman said, "The amount of money in dollars that this company is billing for in the last month are close to a half million dollars. We're just trying to find out what they're billing for and what they're doing."
Across the street, in another small office complex, the agents found another six supposed supply companies that also were locked. "Building's closed, kinda tough to deliver stuff out of here," Macrae noted. "It doesn't surprise us at all. This is typical."
....................................................................
If you want to get upset about something. Get upset about this.
60 billion stolen and this was back in 2007
Where was George W when this was happening ?
oh yeh bogged down in Iraq.
and the Drug companies offer 150 million for help:SIB :SIB
dont you get it hedge ? its as plain as the nose on your face
- Feb 26, 2001
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Hedge is just like some of his sheep friends. He fights for a party that consistantly fucks him in the ass.
