Wow, Medicare has really become a poster child for bad business. And that's such a shame. Really, just scraping the bottom of the barrel, don't you think?
If you're like me, you might have received a flurry of letters from insurance commissioners warning consumers of such scams. Unfortunately, more often than not those most at risk of scams never get the warning. Hopefully, as an ethical advisor, you're letting your clients know what's out there.
Just taking at look at some of the recent statistics on these scams, the numbers are staggering. Since the Medicare Fraud Strike Force began operations in March 2007, more than 560 people have been indicted of submitting false claims to the Medicare program totaling $1.2 billion.
Most recently, there has been news on the airwaves and in print regarding a doctor in the Detroit area who has been sentenced to 72 months in prison for his part in a Medicare scam. A so-called patient recruiter, who was also implicated in the scheme, received 40 months, according to the Department of Justice.
Judge Gerald E. Rosen ordered Dr. Toe Myint, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., to repay the more than $3.1 million he stole from Medicare. Myint will also serve two years of supervised release following his prison term. Rosen ordered recruiter Terrence Hicks, a Jackson, Mich., resident, to pay more than $4.9 million and serve three years of supervised release following his term.
