In health care, a big step forward was taken recently by a crackdown on fraud. In 2011, the Justice Department recovered $2.9 billion in health care fraud. That’s a drop in the bucket for health care fraud, but it’s a step that is long overdue, and will go a long way preserve health care for legitimate beneficiaries.
Amazingly, the Heritage Foundation, through its spokesperson Nina Owcharenko. has opposed any efforts to crack down on healthcare fraud (USA Today, Dec. 28). The Heritage Foundation has given a green light to the fraud that has crippled health care in this country for years. Common sense should tell us that the Heritage Foundation’s hands-off position toward fraud is not good for the country.
Neil Thex
Mesa
truth posted at 3:06 pm on Tue, Jan 3, 2012.
the only way we can stop health care fraud is to change the way we do business. I have not met a honest health care provider.
Arizona Willie posted at 4:30 pm on Tue, Jan 3, 2012.
With them taking that position, I would think they should be investigated and audited. Including the finances of the company officers. If they support fraud in the medical system they must be involved and benefiting in some way.
That should be stopped.
By coming out as opposed to cracking down on fraud they might as well have raised their hand and said " Guilty ".
Basically all DME providers are guilty of fraud in my opinion.
If they want to stop fraud, seriously. They should be looking at the people in Medicare who approve the payouts for a lot of DME stuff at intervals that aren't necessary. Some people in those offices are getting their bank accounts stuffed in my opinion.
For instance... I have sleep apnea and need a machine for assisted breathing when I'm asleep.
They approve a new hose every 3 months and they last for years.
The approve a new mask every 3 months also and they also last and last. They pay out a couple hundred bucks for each mask. DME suppliers try to get you signed up for automatic replacements that you don't need.
The medical system is full of fraud everywhere you look.
And that fraud is committed by companies run by Republicans :)
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:01 pm on Tue, Jan 3, 2012.
The "Heritage Foundation" is a "Right-Wing" Political Think-Tank.
What the heck does that have to do with ...."WELFARE FRAUD" ???
As for the Obama Administration's Justice Department....investigating ..."ANYTHING"....how about the Obama Administration's Justice Department investigating the ............"FAST AND FURIOUS" GUN SELLING TO THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS WHO USED THEM TO KILL AN AMERICAN BORDER PATROL AGENT.
Folks...........here we go again....another of those "Mesa" Letters to the Editor....[wink][wink]
sdjtaz posted at 10:13 am on Wed, Jan 4, 2012.
Folks..........here we go again......another crazy off subject comment from Leon.
First, Leon, the article is about health care fraud not welfare fraud. And the fact that a right wing think tank is actually opposed to any attempt to cut down on fraud is both surprising (since they are supposedly looking for good government) and scary. It does make one wonder about this organization.
Second, the "Fast and Furious" was an outgrowth of Operation Wide Receiver (a Bush era program). The fact that you are only outraged at the Obama administration, not the drug cartel, the murderer,or for that matter any other instance where a Border Patrol Agent was killed says volumes about you.
You have chosen to take this single incident and make it a political football. I find that attitude disgusting. I truly doubt that you would be upset if a) it had nothing to do with the Obama administration or b) it had happened under a Republican administration.
chatmandu002 posted at 10:59 am on Wed, Jan 4, 2012.
Talk about perpetuation fraud. This letter from Neil is a fraud. Nowhere has the Heritage Foundation EVER been against stopping fraud in medicare. I have read the articles from Nina Owcharenko and there is nothing about not stopping medicare fraud. Her articles are about empowering the patient with education and decision making powers. Either Neil took the article in USA Today wrong or the USA Today is wrong. Considering that the USA Today has a liberal view no wonder people get the wrong information.
Arizona Willie posted at 4:27 pm on Wed, Jan 4, 2012.
chatmandu002 ... USA Today is LIBERAL? ha ha ha ha ha yeah right.
That rag is a big contributor to Right To Work For Less.
In no way imaginable would it be classed as a liberal paper.
They are right of Genghis Khan.
onerebel posted at 7:30 pm on Wed, Jan 4, 2012.
I did a search on it and all I see is that the Heritage Foundation is trying to force the Government to reform the Health care system. So, what's wrong with that ?
samkat posted at 9:46 pm on Wed, Jan 4, 2012.
Willie: I challenge you to to prove that ALL of these companies are owned by republicans. I submit that there are just as many crooked democrats as there are republicans. Your analogy means that either democrats are too stupid to be business people or they can be safely lumped into the total business community.
With that said, why don't you just refuse the new hoses and masks? You can use your old ones and hope you do a good job of sterilizing everything as you wait for the parts to wear out. My wife also uses a sleep machine and she simply declines the replacement parts until she needs one. You too can help hold down on fraud.