Medicare Fraud

Thorns are unpleasant. When one encounters a thorn, it tends to leave them wounded and often bleeding. Fraudsters are a lot like thorns. They are prickly, unpleasant and the primary reason why the Medicare program hemorrhaged an estimated $60 billion in 2017. (According to...

The Latin term “quid pro quo” translates into “something for something.” (In other words, it means, “if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”) A New Orleans, Louisiana woman committed Medicare fraud through a quid pro quo arrangement involving two Louisiana psychiatrists. While no...

During 2017, the federal government won or negotiated more than $2.4 billion in healthcare fraud judgements and settlements. (Of that amount $1.4 billion was returned to Medicare, while Medicaid received about $406.7 million.) The Medicare Strike Force, a joint initiative between the Department of...

The human heart pumps blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to tissues while removing carbon dioxide and other waste. (It is central to all body operations and without it, we cannot live.) Fraud operations are similar. Today’s spotlight shines on a cardiologist...

Bad business decisions can ruin a company. For instance, if your customers like the product or service you provide, don’t spend a lot of money trying to improve it. (Think of the New Coke vs. Old Coke saga back in the 1980s. If it...

When healthcare fraud occurs, kickbacks are often involved. (Medical kickbacks can include payment by cash, check, gift cards, luxury items, vacations, etc. in exchange for patient referrals, prescriptions or medical devices.) A Fontana, California woman, who owned and operated a La Verne-based home healthcare...

When someone “gets the boot,” it typically means that they get dismissed, or kicked out of a job or an establishment. A Bloomfield Hills, Michigan doctor could possibly “get the boot” from the podiatrist profession when sentenced for Medicare fraud. Ironically, because he unnecessarily...

The Social Security Death Master File (SSDMF) website explicitly mentions that access is restricted to only users who are certified. A Fort Pierce, Florida fraudster, who was definitely not qualified to have access, somehow tapped into the file that contains over 86 million personal...

Shortcuts can help you be more productive. For example, using shortcuts or combining a couple of keystrokes on your computer keyboard can help you throw together an important presentation in no time at all. Or, using a traffic app on your mobile phone can...

There are some lists that most people would want to be on. For instance, the Top 10 wealthiest people in the world or the Dean’s list, if you are a university student. Then, there is a list or two that you would not want...