Criminals Bilk Medicare of Billions Each Year - AARP Bulletin Today »
Posted By Eagle_Eye 2 weeks, 3 days ago in Health & FitnessThey indulge their wildest whims—a private helicopter, Lamborghini sports cars, thoroughbred horses, even a “Pirates of the Caribbean” water theme park. For the schemers and scammers, Medicare fraud is one crime that does pay—and pay and pay.
The Benitez brothers of Miami—Carlos, Luis and Jose—can vouch for that, federal prosecutors say. The brothers, who operated fake storefront clinics there, were indicted last year on fraud charges after allegedly collecting $84 million from Medicare for phony medical treatments. They spent their Medicare millions on the helicopter, the horses, a rental car agency and tourist hotels—all items the government is now trying to seize and reclaim for taxpayers.
Medicare frauds are often inelegant—but they’re outrageously lucrative and relatively low-risk. So lucrative, and so low-risk, the FBI reports, that a number of cocaine dealers in Florida and California have switched from illicit drugs to Medicare fraud.
Medicare loses billions of dollars to fraud each year. “Those billions of dollars,” said Eric Holder, U.S. attorney general, “represent health care dollars” that could be spent on medicine or care or hospital visits, “but instead are wasted on greed.”
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Eagle_Eye
I am a female who has lived a complex life with complex situations and have learned a lot from my experiences.
I love the Environment ...
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Endoscopy2 weeks, 2 days ago
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I have heard this rant for over 30 years. They always talk about stopping it but that is all that happens. So I am to believe that someone is going to do it now??? Foolish me if I think it will go like in times past under Democrat and Republican administrations.
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What everybody ignores is that many times the over billing is to make up for the standard underpayment to the providers. Completely stop it and you will have to try and find doctors that will take Medicare. Many do not accept it already. Also it denies more claims than any insurance. Medicaid is worse.
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Eagle_Eye2 weeks, 3 days ago
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That is very true, but unfortunately every one wants to be paid right away which prevents the check and balances from being in place. Now with this revelation Medicare is now running checks on patients. I think it should be done for ALL coverage to make sure that the Dr., patient, and treatment are all credible.
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aceofspades12 weeks, 3 days ago
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"This is why single payer is no good. Too easy to cheat ..."
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The system is being raped - so blame the victim - right? Simon?
I don't know what kind of checks & balances are in place but whatever they are there is a need to reassess them & make cheating more difficult -- obviously it worked to some extent in theses cases or we wouldn't have known about them .
Only it worked after the the barn door was closed -
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BronxBomber2 weeks, 3 days ago
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Great expose' on this particular type of Medicare fraud,Medicare is so willing to dispense money to these criminals, yet folks like myself are denied proper coverage from Medicare for full benefits, even though I proved my own case for a mistake that they've made regarding a crooked private provider of medical equipment who now went out of business. I am denied full coverage for maintenance for equipment that I have to now pay out of my pocket in case of a malfunction. Nice set of priorities Medicare!
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