Day After Obama Talks Up Medicare Fraud Fight in Debate, Feds Say They've Taken Down $100 Million of Local Schemes

By Eric Nicholson Thu., Oct. 4 2012 at 4:49 PM

One of the things Obama took pains to highlight during last night's debate was just how aggressively his administration has gone after Medicare fraudsters. Remember Jacques Roy, the Rockwall physician accused of masterminding a scheme to bilk the government of $375 million? Probably not, since the drubbing Obama received in the debate has eclipsed just about everything else that has happened during the past three and three-quarters years.

Obama would just as soon you forget his execrable outing in Denver and replace it with memories of all that Medicare-fraud fightin' he's done, which brings us to the announcement from the office of local U.S. Attorney Sarah Saldana. At some point Thursday morning, law enforcement agents rounded up a dozen defendants who, along with two others who are already in jail, the government says were involved with more than $100 million in Medicare fraud. The same thing apparently happened elsewhere, as U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the round-up of 91 individuals charged with $429 million in Medicare fraud.

The details of the North Texas cases are dry, as Medicare fraud tends to be. You have the father-son team of Lawrence Dale St. John and Jeffrey Dale St. John who, along with Dr. Nicolas Alfonso Padron, are alleged to have billed Medicare for home visits by Padron when he was out of the country, on a cruise, or otherwise unable to make an appointment. Dr. Joseph Megwa of Arlington would sign stacks of prescriptions and payment documents without reviewing them. Pamela and Kahinde Adenuga, also of Arlington, ran His Grace Medical Supply & More, through which they would submit false claims.

Saldana took the occasion of the arrests to remind us that, over the past 18 months, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in North Texas has charged defendants with nearly a half billion in fraud and "sent a clear message that we will protect taxpayers' dollars and the Medicare program."

And who has been president for the past 18 months? Obama. Forgotten about that debate yet?

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holmantx topcommenter

1 Like

Proof government is not competent to manage one-fifth of the economy. The apparatus is so big and bloated I would not be surprised if we found billions being sucked out one of the hind tits by the Russian mafia or Lower Slobovian hackers. No doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg.

morrainepeak

2 Like

And all of this would just be soooo special except for: 1) local CMS and DOJ giving Parkland Hospital/UT Southwestern a complete pass for at least 4 years ofmulti-departmental billing and upcoding violations resulting in innumerable Qui Tam whistle blower law suits. I guess that the current WH occupant really does not care about poor people.... and 2) These north Texas geriatric Docs look like pikers compared to Obama/Holder crony Jon Corzine (former D-NJ Gov.) who somehow "lost" 2.3 billion of investors money at M F Global without gettng any DOJ attention at all...(Guess that Romney was correct- Obama picks losers and Obama/ Holder buddies are too big to fail-or get in front of a grand jury).. .Nice

scottindallas topcommenter

@morrainepeak It beats Mr Pig in a Poke. What the hell does Romney believe in? What are his policies?

ThePosterFormerlyKnownasPaul topcommenter

2 Like

One important item that was left out of this story:

For how long has the investigation into the fraud scheme been ongoing?

If I remember correctly the $375MM fraud scheme to which you refer was an ongoing fraud for about 10 years before it was shut down.

I hear again and again from the President that there is $750 Billion (yes little Susie that is Billion with a B, a Carl Sagan Billion with a B!) in Medicare Fraud that will be rooted out and used to pay for the national healthcare program (or whatever you want to call it).

Pray tell then, why has not this corruption and fraud been rooted out sooner and the misappropriated funds used to expand legitimate Medicare claims and services?

Please if you are going to use your bully pulpit and the barrels of ink (or should I say capacitors full of electrons) at your disposal to say "nanny nanny boo boo" at the conservatives who read this publication, please be consistent with you story and reference your background stories with a link.

(My two cents and off of my soapbox)

(We now return you to your regular programming)

scottindallas topcommenter

@ThePosterFormerlyKnownasPaul Only a portion of the $750 billion comes from "fraud and abuse" about half comes from ending support for Medicare advantage, and some from pilot programs to end fee for service.

ThePosterFormerlyKnownasPaul topcommenter

@scottindallas thanks again for the update ... how big of a "portion" is the "portion"

NeverAgainRs

@NeverAgainRs @MittRomney #TAXCHEAT w/ #offshoreaccounts AND a #LYINGLIAR Say NO to #Draftdodging #warmonger #Mittthelyingtwit! #Forward2012

s.aten

The justice dept. has been more aggressive going after Medicare fraud under Obama than under Bush.

morrainepeak

2 Like

The DOJ under Obama/Holder is an agenda driven corrupt mess. The alleged fraud cases you describe all had investigations beginniing in the 2006/2007 time frame and it took the current DOJ 4-5 years to figure out that millions were being ripped off by a handful of "easy to prosecute" hapless Docs. Meanwhile the" big fish" are allowed to swim off.

scottindallas topcommenter

@morrainepeak They're all political.

FakeMichaelIrvi

@Dallas_Observer brah learn to turn off your autocorrect. Be a #IMABEAASSTTTTT

James080

3 Like

"And who has been president for the past 18 months? Obama. Forgotten about that debate yet?"

The Justice Department is suppose to investigate and prosecute Medicare fraud (an $80 Billion a year criminal enterprise). Are you suggesting the president deserves a pat on the back because his Justice Department decided to actually do their job?

Your questions remind me of the Chris Rock bit, where he complains about people in his neighborhood begging a pat on the back because they "take care of their kids."