Medicare fraud is bad, right?

[goaded]

"A judge sentenced [former co-owner of American Therapeutic Corp., Lawrence] Duran, now 63, to the longest prison term in history for Medicare fraud in September 2016. Trump issued Duran's commutation on Wednesday. Duran and his girlfriend, Marianella Valera, the co-owner of the company and one of its therapists, filed 866,000 false claims with Medicare and received more than $87 million from their scheme, according to court records. Their case was part of a much larger probe that included 22 other defendants, including senior company employees, psychiatrists and patient recruiters. In all, the scheme involved $200 million in false billings. At the time, it was the nation's largest Medicare therapy rip-off scam in history."

Updates

11 mo

Medicare money doesn't go to individuals, it goes to providers.

[DrPepper12]

Trump consorting, pardoning & getting campaign "donations" from criminals? Lordy Lord!! I simply cannot believe that!! Why... Why.. that would be an EPIC scandal!!! Right?

[goaded]

I don't see why. He's allowed to break the law when performing presidential duties like giving pardons, SCOTUS said so.

[Shiprex]

The whole US system of commercial profit driven healthcare isn't about CARE in the first place unless it's caring for the profits of corporations.

[goaded]

The weirdest thing is that the basics are the same as the German system, but without the government ensuring everyone gets insurance and nobody gets ripped off.

An ambulance to the hospital has to get to you (I'm told) within 10 minutes, and it costs you (co-pay) 15 Euros. 10 Euros a night in hospital.

The US system is a positive feedback loop: insurance are only allowed to skim a certain percentage, so it's in their interests to make sure the prices are high. The hospitals (often owned by the same corporations, I think) like that, too. Drug dealers, sorry, I forget the official title, choose what medications are available under insurance from their companies, and they get a cut, which means they choose the most expensive options. (I want to say they're called BLM, but that's not right...)

[Shiprex]

I dk the German system but it makes sense and Sweden has a copay system of sorts but is limited to about €200 per year while a doctors appointment is about 10 to 12 and this includes medication.

[goaded]

That sounds very similar. Weirdly, I'm proud of Germany for being the first to move to universal health care, and also of the NHS in the UK, but it's been wildly underfunded for decades: half your finger's been cut off? Get a taxi/Uber!

[Shiprex]

I'm originally from UK and thought the whole healthcare system had zero need for a wallet and I was all for it. Needed it rarely and was never disappointed. IT is a genuinely great system that successive rw governments have tried to get into the private sector which is hugely negatively impacting the notion that profits should be put as part of compassionate care.

[Shiprex]

Thanks for the MHO @goaded

[dustybiker2]

Amazing they pulled it off.

A couple of months ago I started trialing new doctors in a new insurance plan. (Still searching as the first two were unbelievable and the following does not surprise me). The first was sketchy as all out ordering all types of tests for what would be easily treated with holistic medicine. I cancelled these tests and switched to the next scam doctor.
Fast forward.
A month ago I received a letter from my insurance stating denial of payment. That first doctor tried to claim I had the tests performed and filed for payment. They could not prove test results to match their claims. Because I did not have them performed.
Now I am waiting for this doctor's office to attempt to charge me for tests never performed. Been there and fought it before. A few times over the years.

Yes. It is a huge problem.

[OneViewpoint]

Welcome to Scam America where con artists are the new Rock Stars.

[exitseven]

Yes, DOGE is just getting started on investigating Medicare.

[goaded]

You did get that Trump has now freed three people convicted of defrauding Medicare?

By the way, a DOGE employee told a news outlet "I personally was pretty surprised, actually, at how efficient the government was". He was of course immediately fired for being transparent and believing Musk's lies about transparency.

[exitseven]

The government is efficient about certain things. Most employees can tell you down to the penny how much of a pension they will get when they retire.

[DryGermanGuy]

@exitseven
Do you want to comment on the blatant Trumpian corruption, freeing criminals after getting personal donations from their families?

[exitseven]

@DryGermanGuy when did this happen? Is there any proof or is it an "unnamed source:. ?

[DryGermanGuy]

It happens all out in the open - there is apparently no need for unnamed sources.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smajzi6AkwE

[DryGermanGuy]

www.theguardian.com/.../trump-pardons-cost-liz-oyer

[exitseven]

@DryGermanGuy "The justice department’s pardon attorney, who was recently fired"

Was she a holdover from the Biden administration?

[goaded]

You don't expect a Trump loyalist to point out the facts, do you? She names the people who Trump pardoned, who were convicted of crimes and should have paid hundreds of millions in fines.

[CaptainSmartass]

Yeah. It's fraud, and that's illegal. Or, at least it was the last time I checked...

Simples...

[goaded]

Trump's released three people who defrauded Medicare for millions. So I guess it's not that bad after all.

[Ariesman81]

Good. Glad they got caught. Defrauding the American Taxpayer should carry steep penalties.

[goaded]

Trump commuted their sentences. They're free.

[Lynx122]

Only if you're a poor person :P

[NathanDavis]

all fraud is bad... it is, fraud

[msc545]

Very bad.