Why is there no "war on fraud"?

[Billybob]

Billions of Dollars in Medicare and Health Care Fraud
Wednesday, 04 May 2011 00:00
William M. Windsor

Medicare fraud and health care fraud are overwhelming.

Billions of dollars reported in just the last few months.

Imagine how much hasn't even been investigated.

Houston Federal Jury Convicts Four Defendants in Connection with $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (May 4, 2011)

Pharmaceutical Giant, Serono, Agrees to Pay $44.3 Million to Settle False Claims Act CasePharmaceutical Giant, Serono, Agrees to Pay $44.3 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case (May 4, 2011)

Two Miami-Area Corporations Plead Guilty to More Than $200 Million Medicare Fraud (May 3, 2011)

Oakland, California, Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Causing the Submission of $1.2 Million in False Power Wheelchair Claims to Medicare (April 26, 2011)

Three Miami-Area Medical Professionals Each Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $23 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (April 25, 2011)

Los Angeles-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Establishing Fraudulent Medical Clinics and Using Stolen Doctor Identities to Defraud Medicare of up to $13.6 Million (April 20, 2011)

CVS Pharmacy Inc. Agrees to Pay $17.5 Million to Resolve False Prescription Billing Case (April 15, 2011)

Miami Doctor Convicted in $23 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (April 14, 2011)

Houston Registered Nurse Pleads Guilty in Connection with an Alleged $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (April 8, 2011)

Miami-Area Marketing Director Pleads Guilty for Her Role in Community Mental Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving More Than $100 Million in Fraudulent Medicare Claims (April 7, 2011)

U.S. Files Complaint Against Texas-Based Healthpoint Ltd. Under the False Claims Act (April 1, 2011)

Los Angeles Woman Pleads Guilty to Participating in a Medicare Fraud Scheme Using Fraudulent Medical Clinics and Stolen Doctor Identities to Defraud Medicare of More Than $6.2 Million (March 29, 2011)

Miami Doctor Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Role in $37 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Miami-Area Home Health Agencies (March 25, 2011)

Founder of A&O Entities Convicted in $100 Million Fraud Scheme (March 23, 2011)

Houston-Area Resident Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Claims of Hurricane Damage to Power Wheelchairs (March 11, 2011)

Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty to Acting as the Straw Owner of a Los Angeles Medical Supply Company That Submitted More Than $3.5 Million in False Claims to Medicare (March 5, 2011)

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois to Pay $25 Million to Settle Civil False Claims Act Allegations (February 28, 2011)

Office Manager of Los Angeles Medical Supply Business Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Medicare of More Than $6 Million in Wheelchair Scheme (February 18, 2011)

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 111 Individuals for More Than $225 Million in False Billing and Expands Operations to Two Additional Cities (February 17, 2011)

Twenty People Indicted in Florida for Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving Approximately $200 Million in Medicare Billing (February 15, 2011)

Eight Miami-Area Nurses Sentenced to Prison for $18.7 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Home Health Care (February 4, 2011)

Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Efforts Recover Record $4 Billion; New Affordable Care Act Tools Will Help Fight Fraud (January 22, 2011)

Two Owners of Houston Health Care Company Plead Guilty to Alleged $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (January 18, 2011)

New Orleans Doctor and Owner of Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Baton Rouge-area Medicare Fraud SchemeNew Orleans Doctor and Owner of Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Baton Rouge-area Medicare Fraud Scheme (January 6, 2011)

Houston Doctor Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme (January 4, 2011)

Georgia Hospital Pays U.S. $13.9 Million to Resolve Medicaid False Claims Act Allegations (December 22, 2010

Miami-area Clinic Owner Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Miami-area Home Health Agencies (December 17, 2010)

Detroit-area Doctor Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme (December 16, 2010)

Owner of Detroit-area Medical Clinic Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for $23 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (December 14, 2010)

Four Detroit-Area Residents Arrested in Connection with $14.5 Million Home Health Care Fraud Scheme (December 7, 2010)

Imagine how many haven't been caught or investigated!


http://www.lawlessamerica.com/index...-care-fraud&catid=114:news-reports&Itemid=215

 

[ignerntbend]

So Windsor gives us 33 examples in which the law is working, in an attempt to prove that the law isn't working.

VERY persuasive.

 

[Billybob]

So Windsor gives us 33 examples in which the law is working, in an attempt to prove that the law isn't working.

VERY persuasive.

Given the fact that this issue has been around and known about for some time and that the huge cost to the public has been well documented, along with the true financial benefits of dealing with these cases why has it not been made more of a priority like the "war on drugs"? Why aren't the punishments harsher, it's said many companies simply pay the fines and do it again. Shouldn't committing fraud against the Gov., (our money) mean no more gov. contracts?
Another point is why the gov. doesn't put a priority on this issue like some others. It has been citizens through the use of Qui Tam, (whistleblower) lawsuits that have the driving force in pursuing this issue. And with so many proven results and huge amounts involved why have we not heard more about this from the media?
And why haven't we seen any politicians making this their "grandstand" issue?
Consider the cases below, the February 17, 2011 press release, (111 people charged, $225 Million in False Billing) There's also a transcript, (last link at bottom) from a Congressional committee hearing regarding waste, fraud, and abuse in the medicare/medicaid system.


DoJ Recovers $3 Billion in FY 2010 FCA Cases
The Department of Justice has announced that in FY 2010, the U.S. Government recovered $3 billion in False Claims Act settlements and judgments.
Of the $3 billion recovered, health care civil fraud recoveries accounted for $2.5 billion of the total (83 percent).
The $3 billion recovered under the federal False Claims Act is actually an underestimate of the total amount recovered, as DoJ data does not include criminal fines or state portions of Medicaid settlements in its calculations.
DoJ notes that most successful False Claims Act cases are brought to the government by whistleblowers, and that the False Claims Act remains "the federal government’s primary weapon in the battle against fraud."
Nov 22, 2010


Big Iraq Settlement on Horizon?
A $600 million Iraq war fraud settlement may be on the horizon. Kuwait's Public Warehousing Company (also known as Agility) appears to have told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas that the company expects to pay between $500 million and $600 million to settle a food-fraud case, provided the U.S. Government agrees to the terms. Jan 25, 2010


Fighting Healthcare Fraud:
Whistleblower Statute Returns
$15 for Every $1 Invested
A TAF report by economist Jack Meyer, concludes that every dollar invested by the U.S. Government in investigation and prosecution of federal health care fraud returns $15 back to the American people -- a phenomenal rate of direct return that does not factor in the benefits of fraud deterrence. August 2, 2006


Quest to Pay $241 Million
Quest Diagnostics says it has agreed to pay $241 million to resolve a California False Claims Act case alleging the company overbilled the state Medicaid program for diagnostic-testing. The Quest case is one of seven private medical lab cases brought by Chris Riedel, CEO of Hunter Laboratories, whose company refused to price-gouge. The other six defendant companies are: Health Line Clinical Labs; Westcliff Medical Labs; Physicians Immunodiagnostic Laboratory; Whitefield Medical Laboratory; Seacliff Diagnostics Medical Group, and; Laboratory Corporation of America. May 13, 2011


Par Pharmaceuticals to Pay $145 Million
Par Pharmaceutical Companies has said it has reached an agreement in principle to resolve a False Claims Act case filed by Ven-A-Care of the Florida Keys on behalf of the United States and 49 states (excluding Illinois) over Medicaid price-gouging. April 28, 2011


Verizon to pay $93 Million
Verizon Communications has agreed to pay the United States over $93 million to settle a False Claims Act case involving taxes and surcharges heaped on to phone bills presented to the U.S. General Services Administration. April 13, 2011


More cases at, http://www.taf.org/


February 17, 2011

Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 111 Individuals for more than $225 Million in False Billing and Expands Operations to Two Additional Cities

Doctors, Nurses, Health Care Company Owners and Executives Among the Defendants Charged; Law Enforcement Agents Execute 16 Search Warrants

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/02/20110217a.html

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http://democrats.energycommerce.hou...tinuing Threat to Medicare and Medicaid_0.pdf

 

[ignerntbend]

More instances of the law working in a further attempt to prove that the law isn't working

 

[poopgiggle]

because you can't do a photo shoot in front of a giant pile of confiscated fraud

 

[Billybob]

More instances of the law working in a further attempt to prove that the law isn't working

Apples and oranges, the issue is not whether the law works, the question is why isn't it a priority? As I mentioned the cases I just posted were brought by citizens, they investigated and provided evidence, they filed suit and the gov. then decides to join or not. The citizen, (whistleblower) gets a % of the recovery.

The question is why we don't see the resources and energy devoted to this crime like we do other crimes that might not be doing as much harm.
The next question is why the public is not as outraged about this and demanding more enforcement and harsher penalties on those who commit these crimes. After all you get caught stealing millions because you're greedy and it's a slap on the wrist, get caught stealing because you're poor and/or stupid and some would have you shot.

 

[ByrdC130]

Because these companies contribute money to campaigns????

 

[Billybob]

Has anyone considered it's because of who these people are? After all we're talking about Dr.s, nurses, health care company owners and executives, etc.

 

[Dale00]

Sounds like we need a new federal investigative agency: The Health Security Administration (HSA). And they'll need their own SWAT and warrantless search authorization. That will solve it.

 

[BadgeBunny]

Has anyone considered it's because of who these people are? After all we're talking about Dr.s, nurses, health care company owners and executives, etc.

Oh ... thank goodness ... so it's NOT just the JBTs and lawyers after all ...

Sorry ... that was uncalled for ... kinda ... carry on ...