Sunday, May 1, 2011

Medicaid fraud rampant in Rego Park


From NBC:

Medicaid is a health care program reserved, primarily, for the poor. Benefits are based on federal poverty guidelines. To be eligible in New York State, a single person must earn less than $17,000 a year.

With that in mind, you might expect the most impoverished neighborhoods would be the ones that generate the most Medicaid bills.

Not so.

It turns out, the state’s highest Medicaid billing total can be found within a relatively affluent community: Rego Park, Queens.

With the help of the New York Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, NBC New York examined Medicaid data from all of the state’s nearly 15,000 zip codes.

The analysis found Rego Park -- a neighborhood with a median income above $50,000 -- generated more than $1.5 billion in Medicaid reimbursements in 2010. Because the health care program is aimed at helping poor people, the findings had even regulators scratching their heads.

By running data queries, Little discovered one of the state’s largest Medicaid managed care contractors uses a Rego Park address to process bills -- a clear reason for the high billing volume.

That doesn’t mean investigators won’t continue to have their eyes on the Queens neighborhood.

In his data query, Little also discovered pharmacy reimbursements make up the second largest share of Medicaid bills in Rego Park. That is significant because Rego Park pharmacists have been snared for fraud in the past. Most recently, federal prosecutors busted Rego Park’s ASA Pharmacy for taking part in a $2.5 million kickback scheme.

Currently there are thirteen Rego Park medical service providers who have been banned from participating in Medicaid.

37 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

"aNtekas"? How 'bout "aPtekas"?

See? You don't have to be literate to be on television.

You're kidding me. You mean to tell me Russian is spoken in RE(eally)GO(od) Park? And that folks from Russia patronize these "aptekas"? Well, what do you know.

Now what's better? Privatized medical care or collectivist medical care?

Anonymous said...

"Now what's better? Privatized medical care or collectivist medical care?"

Who do you "think" is perpetrating this fraud?...Private individuals-Private business.

Read AND comprehend.

Anonymous said...

Russians, Jews and Russian-Jews. America hating bastards. They want nothing but the destruction of the greatest county on earth and they do it in the most cowardice way of internally, clandestine and subversive means.

georgetheatheist said...

Medicaid is private? It's "free" health care.

Queens Machine Democrat said...

Who do you "think" is perpetrating this fraud?...Private individuals-Private business.

Yes!

Because we all know that government workers, civil servants, and unions NEVER EVER waste money or perpetrate fraud!

Anonymous said...

Are the signs in Rego Park in English, or Russian only? Like Flushing's Meng, is the area Assemblyman issuing translation pamphlets?

Anonymous said...

georgetheatheist said...

Medicaid is private? It's "free" health care."

Oh, come on "George" -you're not talking to Bob Gigante here. The scammers in that story are -private- interests taking advantage of a public resource.

BTW: I believe you are a retired teacher. You know, one of those union operatives with a defined benefit plan and whole-life medical care.

Kinda hypocritical aren't ya?

Anonymous said...

Medicaid is Federal $ administered at the local level. Of course the individuals gaming the system are "private" ie. physicians, physical therapists, even chiropractors. I'm not sure what point either of you are trying to make. Do you really want a new government office: Public Doctor?

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 3:

As an American who happens to be Jewish and whose grandparents came here from Russia 106 years ago, I can tell you that you are one big POS. If that hatred inside of you hasn't burned a hole in your stomach already, I hope that it does really soon.

Why don't you go where your viewpoint would be more welcome, like Iran?

Anonymous said...

it is not the russians,jews that are held in contempt in the U.S..

it is the socialist voting russians and jews that are undermining our Constitution.

this is the difference.

Queens Machine Democrat said...

BTW: I believe you are a retired teacher. You know, one of those union operatives with a defined benefit plan and whole-life medical care.

Kinda hypocritical aren't ya?


Who manufactured the computer that you are using right now?

Was it the Federal, State, or Local government?

Or was it private industry?

Kinda hypocritical, aren't ya?

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 9:

Which is not what Anon No. 3 is talking about. And you're wrong also.

Anonymous said...

Queens Machine Democrat said...Who manufactured the computer that you are using right now?

Was it the Federal, State, or Local government?

Or was it private industry?"

Your attempted analogy is ridiculous.

Let me try to help you here; Private industry building a computer (albeit in China) is fine...Private insurance industry bleeding a family of four for $27000/yr with high deductible is a disgrace.

Raving about how good this "system" is when someone else is actually paying (George) -is hypocrisy.

Got it now Einstein?

Typical Queens Crap poster with an IQ of 65 said...

I blame the immigrants. New York was much better before we had immigrants.

georgetheatheist said...

Not a retired teacher. An "excessed" teacher from way back in the "Ford to City Drop Dead" days of the late '70's. Now a single proprietor of my entrepreneurial enterprise.

Read the recent history of the world. Collectivism doesn't work. People are INDIVIDUALS. They don't give a crap about the communal swamp. You may not like to read this but it's the way of the world. Dream on.

I'll meet you at your dacha for a drink, pheasant, and a girly show.

Anonymous said...

georgetheatheist said..
"Read the recent history of the world. Collectivism doesn't work. People are INDIVIDUALS. They don't give a crap about the communal swamp."'"

-Dead wrong George. If that grim opinion were true, civilizations as we know them would never have worked.

The services of government, in all it's facets, gives lie to your statement.

America lives in a mixed economy with elements of both capitalism and socialism -don't try to confuse the latter with communism -although that would be a convenient out for people like you whose desperate attempt at ideological purity is increasingly threatened by the reality of Americans being impoverished by our current "health care" system.

You might benefit from perusal of these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model

Anonymous said...

Russians & Jews....wadda ya expect...honesty in medicine?

georgetheatheist said...

There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism—by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad the Berlin wall came down. Now all that scum that rotted away Eastern Europe is destroying the west.

Combine the greed, selfishness, and isolationism of the Jews, with the poor taste, social contempt, lack of regard for others, and garishness of the Russians, and what you end up with is some of the worst people on the planet.

Anonymous said...

oh no!!!! There on to us. I hope they don't find out about the SSI and welfare checks being delivered to my McMansion as well.

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 19 -

The worst people in the world are non-thinking haters like you.

Anonymous said...

georgetheatheist said...
There is no difference between communism and socialism"

I see. So by your "logic" those countries that live happily with a social safety net are "enslaved"..While we who pay bloated insurance fees that drain our finances and cripple our ability to support our children are "free".

One thing is certain: You sir are free to be a fool.

The future is going to be very hard on you and your beliefs.

Anonymous said...

countries that live happily with a social safety net are "enslaved"..While we who pay bloated insurance fees that drain our finances and cripple our ability to support our children are "free"

They are crippled by 75%+ tax rates. So I don't see your point because they have the same problems.

georgetheatheist said...

When Social Security was instituted in the 1930's, there were 30 workers supporting l retiree. Now there are 3 workers supporting 1 retiree.

Collectivism is unsustainable. But you won't have to worry, you'll be able to retire when they raise the retirement age to 85.

c'mon folks follow his bouncing ball: Tax the rich, Tax the rich.

Unfortunately, who's really going to be taxed is the motor that drives the economy: the middle class.

And who says those countries are happy? You're a Pew or Quinnipiac pollster?

C'mon drag out Sweden in your tired leftie pathetic argument. C'mon drag it out. A country with a high suicide rate.

Anonymous said...

georgetheatheist said..And who says those countries are happy? You're a Pew or Quinnipiac pollster?"

For fun, we can start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_with_Life_Index

George, you are too used to dealing with ignorant neo-con mooks on talk radio, you are in adult company now.

"Collectivism is unsustainable."

The reason for S.S and Medicare's problems are, in major part due to the fact that some 47% of Americans pay no tax at all.

More importantly the wealthy have had their rates decline precipitously during the Bush era;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110417/ap_on_re_us/us_no_taxes

"Unfortunately, who's really going to be taxed is the motor that drives the economy: the middle class."

-Only because they vote for republicans and others who have only the interests of wealth and power at heart.

"C'mon drag out Sweden in your tired leftie pathetic
argument."

Again George, this is not Bob Gigante's AM talk show.

Review the above and arise fresh with knowledge.

Or stew in your ignorant juices.

Your choice.

Anonymous said...

if obamacare is so great,why has he given waivers against purchasing it to over 1000 public unions and his pals companies ?

will a Marxist step forward and explain why ?

your class warfare B/S does not work on the American citizens anymore.

DRILL BABY DRILL.. i just paid $4.40 per gallon of gasoline.the taxes on this purchase is over $1.50.
the marxist environmentalists in government will not remove the moratorium on the gulf of mexico rigs. Why?
Why did they give $2 billion of our taxes to Brazil to drill offshore?

georgetheatheist said...

How many of you dear readers have ever heard of Ingvar Kamprad?

I bet not many. But, many of you have shopped at IKEA. Mr. Kamprad is the Swedish founder of IKEA. IKEA products are awash in Swedish names. The store is decorated with Swedish style. They even serve Swedish meatballs in the cafeteria. When they opened the IKEA in Red Hook, they didn't have a ribbon-cutting but a log-sawing.

Guess what? Ingvar Kamprad, a born-Swede, doesn't live in Sweden. He lives in Switzerland. For the last 30 years. Why? To escape the onerous Swedish business taxes.

So now, he can profitably run his business and give employment to poor African-Americans from the Red Hook area. No Ikea. No jobs. Simple.

Tax the rich. Hurt the poor.

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 26 -

I wouldn't join a club that would have me for a member.

- Groucho

Anonymous said...

Just a detail... the Rego Park group referred to in the post, while Russian-speakers, are Uzbeks, Asiatic people of the Steppes. This global reference of the group as "Russian" is akin to calling Americans or Australians "English" because that's the language we speak.

Anonymous said...

Slaves to big government or wage slaves to corporations. Democracy is subservient either way.

Objectivism is as much a farce as Marxism.

georgetheatheist said...

"Objectivism is as much a farce as Marxism."

Really? Objectivism deals with the real world (a = a). Marxism deals with the unreal (a does not = a)

It's the difference between Aristotle and Plato.

And you stand there scratching your agnostic head and don't know what the hell is going on.

Anonymous said...

"if you work,you eat" Capt.James Smith at Jamestown Va., 1607. after the "COMMON STORE", the first communist venture in the Colonies ,FAILED.

Conservatives say ,"There is no free lunch"

Leftists say," let us spread your wealth to the freeloaders and ourselves"

I bought a gallon of milk today,which cost $4.50. two weeks ago it cost$3.35. vote democrat and drink powdered milk in the future.

obama has a dollar printing machine,we do not.....

Anonymous said...

End days are a comin', I reckon', let the riots begin, the Earth cleansed & renewed.

Anonymous said...

georgetheatheist said..How many of you dear readers have ever heard of Ingvar Kamprad?Guess what? Ingvar Kamprad, a born-Swede, doesn't live in Sweden. He lives in Switzerland. For the last 30 years. Why? To escape the onerous Swedish business taxes.

-More likely to to avail himself to the Swiss' notorious banking secrecy.

But, since you mention Switzerland, let's mention their -progressive- tax system:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Switzerland

And their heath care system..Which looks a lot like the Obama plan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland

Happy reading, George.

John from Conn said...


The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. The only proper functions of a government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the military, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective law.

The source of the government’s authority is “the consent of the governed.” This means that the government is not the ruler, but the servant or agent of the citizens; it means that the government as such has no rights except the rights delegated to it by the citizens for a specific purpose. This purpose does not include the creation of special rights or privileges for a "certain segment of the population." There are NO "GROUP" rights. "Rights" are sanctions for "individuals" to act and to keep the products of their own actions and labor. "Rights" are NOT unearned claims to the actions or products of others!

Morally and economically, the welfare state creates an ever accelerating downward pull. Morally, the chance to satisfy demands by force spreads the demands wider and wider, with less and less pretense at justification. Economically, the forced demands of one group create hardships for all others, thus producing an inextricable mixture of actual victims and plain parasites. Since need, not achievement, is held as the criterion of rewards, the government necessarily keeps sacrificing the more productive groups to the less productive, gradually chaining the top level of the economy, then the next level, then the next.

John from Conn said...


Outrage at the wealthy is simply called "envy." I never saw a poor man hire anyone or create a good or service to better anyone's life...People who use their mind's to advance in the free market on the merit of their efforts should be applauded...and most of all....thanked!

We as thinkers desire “Free Competition” without government favoritism. We oppose anyone or any corporation that looks to get in BED with government and create, rules, laws, subsides, or monopolies that favor them at the expense of small businesses. Any Corporation that avoids FREE competition in Favor of political favoritism using lobbyists to buy politicians and create barriers to protect themselves are acting immorally and must be stopped. “Corporatism” is a LEFT WING phenomenon, created ONLY through government meddling in the economy. Advancement in our system should be restored to the "merit of achievement" as people earn things through the value of their efforts and thus are allowed to enjoy the fruits of their own ideas and labor.

The "Enlightened" founding fathers, the wise men that they were, moved beyond barbaric tribal collectivism. During the first 150 years of America's history, people were free to live their lives in any way they chose as long as their actions did not entail violence, coercion, or fraud against others. Americans could engage in any economic enterprise without permission or regulation ... accumulate unlimited amounts of wealth without political interference ... do whatever they wanted with their money ... and travel anywhere in the world without a passport or other evidence of governmental consent. This unique way of life was what distinguished the United States from all other nations in history. It was this way of life that became known as one of "free enterprise." PEOPLE COULD NOT be forced to HELP or SERVE others. Man, for the first time in history was not a sacrificial animal to others. The result was NOT DESPAIR for the common man, but, freedom and an entry way to the opportunity of a better life. The other result was the most charitable nation in the history of man.

"Government" is the only thing that can screw up the purity of the free market. Laws are made by the will of the public, to stop any individual or corporation from hurting, coercing, or defrauding anyone else.

AND Those in "society" that "need help" are to be lifted as they were for the first 150 years of our country....Those needy souls are "free to ask" for "Voluntary Help" by the willing hearts of mankind. 19th Century America was the most "freely" giving country in history to that point. Government was not needed "to force" people to be charitable!

As stated above we do not have a TRUE Capitalist system today. But, Modified Government Regulated Capitalism....similar to that of Weimar Germany (with a fortune and respect for individualism unlike Germany, which is why it fell sooner then we will.) Under TRUE Laissez Faire Capitalism, Warren Buffet would have no special government loop holes to protect him from competitors. He would have to compete under objective laws on the Free Market against those who would attempt to provide a better service. We realize Laissez Faire is the only way to save this country!

georgetheatheist said...

Hey, Lefty. Here's something for you to read:

I wonder what George could be referring to, hmmnn?