MIAMI – Federal authorities arrested more than 30 suspects, including doctors, and were seeking others in a major Medicare fraud bust Wednesday in New York, Louisiana, Boston and Houston, targeting scams such as "arthritis kits" — expensive braces that many patients never used.
More than 200 agents worked on the $16 million bust that included 12 search warrants at health care businesses and homes across the Houston area, where the bulk of the arrests were made.
Federal authorities say those businesses were giving patients "arthritis kits," which were nothing more than expensive orthotics that included knee and shoulder braces and heating pads. Patients told authorities they were unnecessary and many never even received them. But health care clinic owners billed between $3,000 to $4,000 for each kit.
When you all are hoping the federal government is going to provide you that much needed kidney replacement surgery but "just can't get you in" due to budget cuts, don't come crying to me. There will be fraud in any system...just look at the abuses of the Medicare system...all the federal plans will have the same problems. Hopefully for those who need government care it will be there for them.
