Millions Lost In Medicare Fraud and Nobody Cares

4583 uninsured people could be given Cadillac insurance plans with the money conned from Medicare by one small clinic here in Texas.  Unfortunately, no one in a position to notice, care or act on this fact gives a damn. 

Let me tell you what is currently making my teeth itch. This may take some time.  I am so livid with indignation that I frequently have to stop and sip some very good scotch to get my nouns and verbs in sync.    

            The Lower Rio Grande Valley is not a metropolis.  This story shows a microcosm of what is happening all across this country.  In McAllen, Texas this story is vexatious.  Magnify it to include the entire nation and it changes to a deadly wrong that could very well poison this entire nation.   If you want to know why I don’t trust the federal government to manage 16% of the economy, just look at what they allow (nurture, encourage, enable…) to happen with Medicare. 

            On Thursday, November 21, my local paper, The Monitor, published a story—not on the front page, but in the B section, “Valley and State” news.  To their credit, it was the feature story on this local news section, published above the fold.  Three local doctors, running the Valley Heart Consultants clinic, agreed to pay back $5.5 million dollars in fraudulently obtained Medicare bills.  They did this to avoid further action against them.  Do not get upset about this.  Conserve your rancor, because you haven’t heard anything yet. 

           

1. The settlement confirmed these allegations:
1. they improperly billed for Medicaid patients.
2. they performed unnecessary tests.
3. they had unlicensed technicians performing the tests.
4. they used techniques below required standard practice.
2. Two of the doctors were named in a $27 million (!!!) settlement in2009.
3. They and five other doctors defrauded Medicaid of $50 Million in 2009.
4. The settlement does not affect the doctors’ status as Medicare providers.

 

Why are these con men allowed to continue as physicians in Medicare?  They have already been found abusing the system not once but twice.  Actually, I am willing to bet they have been found with their filthy little hands in the cookie jar more times than this and let by with a stern warning, three Hail Mary’s and a hearty, “Hi-ho, go and sin no more.”  

Actually, why aren’t these bastards in prison?  Why would any agency that claims to work for the good of all, especially the most vulnerable, allow these criminals to breath free air, let alone operate a clinic?  The answer of course is that the people in charge of Medicare don’t care.  They don’t care about the poor.  If they did, they would be outraged by millions of dollars wasted on con men. They don’t care about the integrity of the system; if they did these doctors would be sweeping out cages at the local animal shelter.  Waste does not bother them; they feel no responsibility toward money taken from faceless workers.  If what you want is operating control of 1/6 of the entire economy, $75 million dollars is chump change. 

Justice, honor, efficiency, and even simple economic reality mean nothing to this government.

If you actually think that people who do wrong deserve more than one chance, I would remind you of something.  Fifty years ago today, a fool who defected to the Soviet Union was then forgiven and allowed back into this country.  His name was Lee Harvey Oswald and he assassinated President John F. Kennedy. 

Rage against injustice, and keep the faith.