Fight against health care fraud recovers $4.1B, $7.10 for every $1 of expenditures - USA Today

[grahamhgreen]

12. I really hope they stop that electric scooter scam you see advertised on TV

"The U.S. Justice Department on Friday filed a lawsuit against The Scooter Store Inc. alleging the power-wheelchair distributor bilked Medicare.

The lawsuit claims The Scooter Store engaged in a nationwide practice of making misrepresentations to Medicare beneficiaries and their doctors about obtaining reimbursements from the government for power wheelchairs as opposed to less expensive scooters.

Specifically, lawyers for the government say the company was involved in a mass marketing campaign to sell equipment to Medicare patients. Attorneys say that once potential customers called the company's toll-free number, employees falsely told patients that Medicare would only pay for a more expensive power wheelchair.

As a result, Justice Department officials claim Medicare and Medicaid paid more for more expensive equipment than customers needed. Government attorneys do not have an exact dollar amount the government paid for fraudulent reimbursements. However, The Scooter Store has billed Medicare for claims worth more than $400 million since 1997, according to the lawsuit. "


http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2005/04/25/daily39.html


Wonder what happened with that.....