FL Gov Rick Scott looks to overhaul Florida’s public hospitals

[seafan]

Scott looks to overhaul Florida’s public hospitals

By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Tallahassee bureau

May 27, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — The day after Gov. Rick Scott drew criticism for cutting some $615 million in state spending, his administration embarked on another contentious venture: taking on Florida's public hospital system.

The Florida Commission on Review of Taxpayer Funded Hospital Districts, a 10-member panel appointed by Scott, met for the first time Friday in a process that ultimately could lead to legislation changing the way public hospitals operate in the state.

Adding to the stakes is the fact that Scott is the former CEO of one of the world's largest for-profit hospital groups, Columbia/HCA, and that no public hospital representatives are on the panel.

.....

This guy is REALLY pushing the envelope.



Whistleblowers Say Rick Scott Knew About Medicare Fraud

Jun 18, 2010

By John Davis, WGCU
FORT MYERS (2010-6-18)

Two whistleblowers say the new front-runner in the Republican race for governor is lying when he says he did not know about fraud in his former company, the Columbia/HCA hospital chain.

In July 1997, FBI agents raided Columbia/HCA accounting offices in seven states, including Florida. Within days, Columbia’s board of directors ousted Scott, but gave him a nearly $10 million severance package, including stock shares worth $300 million and a $1 million a year consulting contract.

The company wound up paying more than $1.7 billion for defrauding the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Scott says he didn’t know about his company’s fraudulent billing practices and if he had, he’d have fired those responsible.

.....

We have a criminal in the governor's office.

[madfloridian]

1. If I called people names....I can think of a super one for him..

In fact many. He's such a .....

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I understand he's an expert on health care.

[onehandle]

3. Why doesn't he just make them install big signs that say: CASH ONLY.

That's the GOP-Libertarian-Teabagger goal anyway.

[csziggy]

4. If our state survives, I can only hope he poisons the well for Republicans

Wanting to hold office in Florida for a generation or more.

I just don't know what will be left by the time we can get pRick Scott and the Repugnant Legislature out, though.

[Angry Dragon]

5. It has always amazed me that when a company is caught

breaking the law and the CEO says they did not know what was going on and that is what they are paid for to know what the hell is going on. So they give Dictator Scott $320 million because he did not know what was going on. Insanity rules the day and the Regressive Party

[seafan]

6. Rick Scott: Just the guy to trust to *overhaul* Florida's public hospitals.

More from Rick Scott's Columbia/HCA Medicare fraud case:

.....

Schilling’s case was merged with that of another whistleblower in Montana: former HCA hospital CFO Jim Alderson.

Alderson says he believes he was fired because of his refusal to abide by accounting practices that maintained two separate sets of books: one showing reimbursements submitted to Medicare, and another secret book documenting fraudulent claims that would be rejected if found by Medicare auditors.

The company maintained large reserve funds in case auditors ever discovered the false claims and had to pay up. Alderson says the practice was so widespread, that Scott had to know about it.

“These reserves represented anywhere from 25 to 35 percent of the bottom line of the company in its heyday,” Alderson said.

“It’s just totally unfeasible that a CEO making the kind of money he was making, that you wouldn’t know where 30 percent of your bottom line came from. How could you sit in a board room and say, ‘Gee, I wonder; we had record profits this year. I wonder where they came from?’”

Alderson says fraud also helped Scott grow the company at such a rapid rate.

.....

One of four Columbia/HCA executives convicted in the case was Bob Whiteside. He was later acquitted on appeal and says he still stands by Scott, his former boss.

.....

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. No conflict of interest here. No way.

[MadMaddie]

8. I think this was his ultimate goal

he knows how to steal the money, he just needed a bigger vehicle to do it. What bigger vehicle than being the Governer and being responsible for managing public hospitals?

[DrDan]

9. it was well known he was a criminal - but he shows up with an ad

from his Mother claiming "He's a good boy"

and that was all it took - the mindless r's carried this cretin into office.

I have a bil who was a long-term D - and he was taken in by this clown.

And now future generations will pay the price - as his f******g contributors line their pockets. It is enough to make one ill.

[RagAss]

10. How's your BIL digging this assclown now?

[DrDan]

11. we don't discuss it - some things are best left unsaid among relatives

[spanone]

12. along with his criminal boss, bill frist.

[QC]

13. Let me guess: he's going to sell them all to Solantic for a dime on the dollar.

So far, everything the man has done has been calculated to put taxpayer money in his own pockets.