Posted on 10/04/2012 6:50:44 PM PDT by libs_kma
Federal authorities have charged more than 90 people in one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes ever uncovered, they revealed Thursday. The scheme defrauded the national healthcare scheme for the elderly of some $432 million, CNBC reported. "Those charged today not only broke the law -- but also violated their professional obligations and sacred oaths as medical practitioners," Attorney General Eric Holder said, as he announced the result of the crackdown. Holder said one doctor is accused of writing 30,000 prescriptions for 2,000 patients, leading to $100 million in fraud. The accused include "doctors, nurses and other medical professionals," Reuters reported. Health and Human Servies Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who appeared with Holder at a press conference, said, "Medicare and Medicaid fraud not only costs taxpayers, it threatens the programs." The worst abuse alleged was based in Miami where 34 people are charged with a little less than half the alleged dollar amount defrauded. Local news reports say the probe was centered on a psychiatric hospital and home health care operation. The Miami Herald said officials at the hospital are accused of billing the program for bogus treatments. Many of those charged will appear in court on Thursday afternoon, the Herald added. Several arrests were made in dawn raids across the country on Thursday. Charges range from healthcare fraud and conspiracy to wire fraud, kickback violations, identity theft and money laundering. Medical professionals in eight other cities — Los Angeles, Houston, Baton Rouge, La., Brooklyn, NY, Tampa, Fla., Dallas, Chicago and Detroit — were also targeted. CNBC said 14 people in Dallas are accused of $100 million in fraud. Read more on Newsmax.com: Massive $432 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Uncovered Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I sincerely believe that there is not one government program which has not been put into existence that was not compromised on the first day. So I think evey single one of them should have a fraud meter alert. When they find evidence of any fraud at all...the first dollar, the system should be shut down and not made available again for 5 years...if in 5 years, enough safeguards are not put in and it loses even one more dollar to fraud...it goes away forever.... People will find ways to survive...if they have to join a church and be put at their mercy, then they will toe the @#$%^(*&^%$#@#$%^ line or they will be cease to exist...no more government subsidizing criminal behavior outside of prison....thats my .02
The Regime is "getting tough" on crime...right before the election.
If we'd just stop the Medicare fraud, we could save Medicare (for our legal citizens) and never have a need for ObammyScare...right, Eric?
Great timing on this since obozo said last night he’d cut down on Medicare fraud. That was news to the rest of us. NOW they come out with this!!! GOOD JOB obozo!
For an interesting stroll through this news tidbit, look at the other stories about it on Google news, then do a Google image search on some of the doctors involved. Hint: one of them did his residency at the West African College of Surgeons.
The best fraud detector is the paying customer. These schemes will always plague large government programs, and the victims will always be the taxpayer and the beneficiary.
Don’t expect fraud to decline if 0bama is re-elected. As the government essentially criminalizes everything through over-regulation, an ever increasing number of people will lose their moral compunction to respect the law.
$432 million = chump change. How about the 6 to 7 BILLION given to illegals in fraudulent tax returns, by them claiming up to 9 dependents and receiving Earned Income Credits of $900 per dependent. They don’t even need a SS#, they use Federal Tax Payer ID numbers. This has been going on for several years, and does the IRS do anything about it? It’s not like they don’t have the names and addresses ya’ know.
Look at the list of cities involved. You will discover that all of the doctors are located in the third world sections of urban areas where free stuff is the norm expected from the government. Another thought, how did the fraud take place if the government personnel were actually doing their jobs instead of arranging and attending multi-million dollar conferences in resort cities. If it doesn’t take a genius to defraud Medicare, think of the mentality of the bureaucrats running the program.
432 million is only the amount that they could come up on short notice. It’s probably really in the billions.
Akinsunbo Akinbile, 44, of Richmond, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison in Houston. In addition to his prison term, Akinbile was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $471,022 in restitution.
Looks like this guy was sentenced in March. Is there more of ‘em in Houston that you know of?
In the late 1980’s there was an M.D. in Houston who owned a small hospital close to the medical center area which provided in-patient mental health services to kiddos covered by Texas Medicaid. He admitted hundreds of them for treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, would keep them 20 days until their insurance was exhausted for the year and then discharge them.
Lots of complaints to Texas Insurance Commission but nothing was ever done. For some other reason he switched the hospital to regular medical care in the late 1990’s. Probably would warrant looking into.
You will also notice that a good many of the doctors and nurses involved are immigrants, to go by their names, although Miami and Chicago have good old white American fraudsters.
Open borders and social welfare net means we deserve to get taken.
it’s ironic a person such as Holder leads the “justice” department.
He could be president of the Hypocrite Department.
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