Authorities charge 91 in $430 million Medicare fraud

rockin'robin

rockin'robin

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ninety-one people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have been charged with committing $430 million in Medicare fraud in seven U.S. cities, authorities said on Thursday.

An investigation coordinated by the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services uprooted alleged false billing schemes involving $230 million in home health services, over $100 million in mental health services and $49 million from ambulance transportation.

Charges range from healthcare fraud and conspiracy to wire fraud, kickback violations, identity theft and money laundering.

The announcement marks the latest case in a concerted crackdown against Medicare fraud by an interagency Medicare fraud strike force.

The strike force was created under the healthcare reform law as a means of curbing waste, fraud and abuse within the $590 billion Medicare program that provides healthcare benefits to nearly 50 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries.

Authorities charge 91 in $430 million Medicare fraud - Yahoo! News
 
how ever people knock our NHS it when read stories like that i than so grateful i got it..
 
Most stupid thing is back in February the CEO and others of the Riverside Mental Care Hospital in Houston pled guilty of Medicare fraud of over $100m and now they are being charged a second time this year. When it comes to the government, there is serious lack of oversight and accountability.
 
Not surprised about Medicare has fraud problem and there are fraud problem with private insurance companies too. The insurance fraud is just stupid and it will affect on cost of insurance.

Speaking about government, the congress have to pass the law to tighten the anti-fraud measurement and cut the fraud.
 
Foxrac said:
Not surprised about Medicare has fraud problem and there are fraud problem with private insurance companies too. The insurance fraud is just stupid and it will affect on cost of insurance.

Speaking about government, the congress have to pass the law to tighten the anti-fraud measurement and cut the fraud.
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Amen
Good post
 
surprised! 0.o 49 million fraud not fun! serious! whoa!
 
It's a dirty dealing world out there in medicine.

I've seen medical bills that are rip-offs. A friend of mine received a medical bill for his father's stay in the hospital. He noticed that there were multiple charges for gauge. Turns out that no matter how much they use, they use a new one every time... and charge you for each of them. Even if they used a little the first time (there's enough to use that little... 10 times), they toss it and use a new one next time. They also have bills for the medicine, the needles, the band-aids, or whatever they can get their hands on... just to make your life a living hell. :(
 
authentic said:
Kudos to Obama Administration!!! :lol:
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Every administration has caught some, but not all medical fraud. It will never, never stop as long as people are greedy. The program is so massive, our government cannot manage it effectively.
 
TinCanSailor said:
Every administration has caught some, but not all medical fraud. It will never, never stop as long as people are greedy. The program is so massive, our government cannot manage it effectively.
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Yup, I agreed and my mother was victim of insurance fraud that done by hospital. :mad:
 
TinCanSailor said:
Every administration has caught some, but not all medical fraud. It will never, never stop as long as people are greedy. The program is so massive, our government cannot manage it effectively.
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True that...greedy vultures...especially in the 90's I believe...
 
VamPyroX said:
It's a dirty dealing world out there in medicine.

I've seen medical bills that are rip-offs. A friend of mine received a medical bill for his father's stay in the hospital. He noticed that there were multiple charges for gauge. Turns out that no matter how much they use, they use a new one every time... and charge you for each of them. Even if they used a little the first time (there's enough to use that little... 10 times), they toss it and use a new one next time. They also have bills for the medicine, the needles, the band-aids, or whatever they can get their hands on... just to make your life a living hell. :(
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They're all rip offs. One thing to understand.......you are not a hospital or doctors customer, the insurance co/medicare/medicaid is. Prices are set not by what you'd be willing to pay for them, but what insurance companies are willing to pay for them. They also have package deals, and you have very little freedom to choose where you're going to go. You have to get care "in network" so hospitals and doctors don't actually have to compete against each other to keep prices down. Example....say you wanted a new TV, you'd look around for the best deal right, businesses have to compete against each other to attract customers, not so with the medical community.

But back to the package deals. After I had my son they sent me an itemized bill. It was astounding. I recieved a drug, I forget the name of it, to help me relax in between contractions, one percocet, that was too much I didn't it didn't get another, and one motrin. I got charged for a C section ( Idid natural) and epidural (nope) a huge list of drugs. I got charged for a pre delivery room, a delivery room and a recovery room, at about $1000 a pop. I never left the room, all 3 of those rooms were the same stinking room. So I called the billing dept all "wtf I didn't get all this stuff". I was told that the hospital and the insurance have a deal, these are the things they will cover so the hospital charges all those things. They don't actually keep track of what you got to bill them correctly. Then she asked "your insurance company is paying for it, why do you care?". What!? okay first, you're ripping them off, and second they cover 85% so I'm paying 15% for slew of stuff I didn't get.

Yes I know this isn't really "fraud" but it burns my ass and I rant about it on occasion.
 
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