Massive Nationwide Medicare Bust: 111 Charged For Scams Worth $225 Million

[Tx4obama]

Source: AP (via HuffPo)

MIAMI — Federal authorities charged more than 100 doctors, nurses and physical therapists in nine cities with Medicare fraud Thursday, part of a massive nationwide bust that snared more suspects than any other in history.

More than 700 law enforcement agents fanned out to arrest dozens of people accused of illegally billing Medicare more than $225 million. The arrests are the latest in a string of major busts in the past two years as authorities have struggled to pare the fraud that's believed to cost the government between $60 billion and $90 billion each year. Stopping Medicare's budget from hemorrhaging that money will be key to paying for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder partnered in 2009 to allocate more money and manpower in fraud hot spots. Thursday's indictments were for suspects in Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Chicago, Brooklyn, Tampa, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La.

They show that "health care fraud is not easy money," Holder said at a press conference in Washington.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/medicare-fraud-_n_824737.html

[midnight]

1. I'm not down playing the importance of justice.... But what about

the trillions scammed from the tax payers via the banking scandal? Or should we infer that banking scandals are easy money?

[tosh]

2. Have they carted Prick Scott off to prison yet?

[LaPera]

3. Great NEWS - Slam these fuckers! Stealing money meant for people who really need it!

And adding more to medicare costs for republicans to point their slimy greedy fingers at....Why isn't Bill Frist and his daddy indicted he's soaked billions from the government, our taxes....for his smokescreen medicare hospitals 7 operations.

[JDPriestly]

6. I would need to know more facts before jumping to a conclusion.

I trust Holder about as far as you can through a wet piece of toilet paper.

[grahamhgreen]

4. Excellent - they need to go after the electric wheelchair scammers!

[AtheistCrusader]

5. How the hell did they get away with 225 MILLION DOLLARS before getting caught?

[Auggie]

7. One way is for physician groups to open their own labs

and send their patients there for unnecessary or redundant tests.

Most of these kinds of labs are legit one would hope, and the need for this is certainly understandable considering how important GPs are to health care. As I understand it, a lot of GPs look toward these labs as being necessary to help keep practices afloat since their fees are so much less than, say, a surgeon can bill.

[stockholmer]

8. unfortunately, $225 million is chump change, the global money-changers have stolen 10's of trillions

Slam them all in a trial dock, then a cell or a noose, Rothschilds, Oppenheimers, Rockefellers, Morgans, Schiffs, the house of Li Ka-shing (China), House of Kwok (China), Bundys, Collins, Cecils, van Duyns, Freemans, DuPonts, Mitals (India), Krupps, Astors, Saxe-Coberg Gothas(the British Royal House of Windsor), den Huis van Oranje-Nassau(Royal House of Holland), Sassoons, Orsinis, Somaglias, Breakspears, Aldobraninis, Farneses, and Warburgs at the lead.

[fittosurvive]

9. $225 million is just a drop in the bucket when compared to the total

waste, fraud and abuse that occurs within these programs.

[indepat]

10. Now this is great, but it would be even greater if those who perpetrated the multi-trillion dollar

fraud which almost caused a complete financial meltdown were gone after with similar ardor. :patriot:

[NuttyFluffers]

11. bucket - drop. good, but i have bloated MICC, 2 Wars, and Bank Cartel robbery on my mind.

i applaud the law enforcement officials in stopping this abuse of the system. they should be well rewarded. i just lament we cannot have this level of enforcement agents fanning out and arresting dozens of people involved in the truly major crimes currently bankrupting our nation. trying to put a happy face, but it's hard when there are bigger fish to fry.

fixated on hiding the silverware from thieves while the house is on fire...