Did anyone else see the medicare fraud piece on 60 Minutes?

[lonestarnot]

3 field inspectors in the entire state of Florida. 200,000 medical suppliers, 5% of which estimated by a fraud con doing his 9 years, are legit. More money going to the implementation of fraud protection should be an area for job creation. That would give some of the insurance pushers something to do when we get rid of THEIR rip-off schemes.

[robinlynne]

1. interesting timing. Maybe they want us to think "the private sector can do it better".

I like your suggestion.

[lonestarnot]

3. Well I have another thought right after theirs, no way, no how. Program needs watchers watching

watchers or something, certainly not privatization. See Bill Frist thread here. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6856227

Idea needs to be developed just like solar panel plants need to be put in place 10 per state! We need some frick'n job creation while we're implementing insurance for everyone. We also need to get the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan. :( Sorry for the rant. :argh: :rant:

[jwirr]

5. Many of our states send patients the "this is not a bill" documents

all the time and we are supposed to look if we received that treatment. The problem is that many elderly no longer understand the billings. Also if you have been in the hospital you seldom know what all happened to you in the first days after treatment.

My mother had several surgeries in an Iowa hospital and then because she had Alzheimer disease she came to live with me. For months after she moved the "this is not a bill" documents would come - pages long with everything from and aspirins to a bandage listed and at least 6 doctors none of which she remembered. I am assuming that the billing was correct because I trust the hospital but who knows.

I also receive the billings for my daughter who is on Medicaid and Medicare. The Medicare ones are like above but the Medicaid one lists only the names of providers not what they provide so I never know if there is fraud there either.

What we need is a better system of checking. I also do not think that it matters if we are talking government or private here - fraud happens if there is no way to check on it.

[robinlynne]

6. I just watched it. It was exactly what I thought. The introduction was clear:

The very first sentence was about how we cannot trust the government to run our healthcare. They just made a huge case against single-payer/public option pretending it was about something else. (I don't mean a real case. I mean one of those lies which spreads through the public.) right wing bastards.

[slipslidingaway]

8. Exactly !!! nt

[robinlynne]

7. It could not be simpler. CAll the patients when the bill comes in and ask if they had that service.

simple simple simple. When one company does one fraud remove their accreditation immediately. no more bills from them. then jail.
really not complex at all. and hire people to go check any companies who want to be accredited. charge a fee, say 100-200.00 for this service to each company, which pays for the checking. simple rules: you must be open for one year before you apply to work with medicare, and someone gets in a car and goes and checks you out.

The largest crime in America is medicare fraud? I doubt that 60 minutes claim. I'm sure military expenditure fraud is WAY higher.

[SharonAnn]

2. The GOP cut the budgets for things like auditing. Maybe they didn't want them to fin their friends

guilty of fraud?

Used to be that Florida's Medicare and Medicaid fraud was basically run by Cuban emigres and Cuban Americans. They were all GOP supporters.

Don't know if that's still the case.

[lonestarnot]

4. That shit needs to change in a damn hurry.

[slipslidingaway]

9. knr - great area for job creation for former insurance employees..

and most would feel better about catching fraud instead of explaining to people why their claim was denied.

Great idea, we should write to Congress and the WH about your idea.

:)

[slipslidingaway]

10. Steve Kroft uses erroneous footage to trash Medicare/Medicaid/government programs on 60 Minutes

thread in GDP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8715776&mesg_id=8715776

[SoCalDemGrrl]

11. Yeah the Bushies & GOP have been doing a great job of discrediting Medicare...

underfund the fraud division during 8 years of Bush rule, then point to how Medicare doesn't work...

They have been trying to do this for decades....

SHAME ON THEM and SHAME on CBS for their lopsided reporting at this crucial time

in healthcare reform...