Texas Tea Party supporter Physician arrested, largest Medicare fraud in history

[Riot]

At least they are catching these guys!

Washington— Federal law enforcement officials announced what they called the largest healthcare fraud case in the nation’s history, indicting a Dallas area physician for allegedly bilking Medicare for nearly $375 million in billings for nonexistent home healthcare services.

Top Justice Department officials, working for several years to stem a rampant rise in healthcare fraud around the country, also revealed Tuesday that 78 home health agencies that were working with the physician, Dr. Jacques Roy, will be suspended from the Medicare program for up to 18 months.

FBI agents in Texas arrested Roy, of Rockwall, Texas, a physician for 28 years, and asked a federal judge in Dallas to keep him in custody until trial, citing his vast “bank accounts, a sailboat, vehicles and multiple pieces of property” as indications he may attempt to flee.

Facing life in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as restitution of the vast sum of money he allegedly cost the federal government, Roy is to appear in court in Dallas later Tuesday.

Under the alleged fraud scheme, the doctor and his office manager in DeSoto, Texas, Teri Sivils, who was also charged, allegedly sent healthcare “recruiters” door-to-door asking residents to sign forms that contained the doctor’s electronic signature and stated that he had seen the residents professionally for medical services he never provided.

They also allegedly dispatched more “recruiters” to a homeless shelter in Dallas, paying $50 to every street person they coaxed from a nearby parking lot and signed him up on the bogus forms.

The long-running ruse allegedly began in 2006 and over five years collected more Medicare beneficiaries than any other medical practice in the United States.

Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., in testimony Tuesday before a House appropriations subcommittee, said the Department of Justice is making healthcare fraud a centerpiece of its enforcement efforts. He said that in the last fiscal year alone, they had recovered nearly $4.1 billion in funds “that were stolen or taken improperly from federal healthcare programs.”

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/n...,6359381.story

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/in...&employ=&cand=

Contributor Occupation Date Amount Recipient
ROY, JACQUES A DR
ROCKWALL,TX 75087 SELF EMPLOYED/PHYSICIAN 12/21/10 $300 Texas Medical Assn
ROY, JACQUES MR
ROCKWALL,TX 75087 JACQUES ROY/PHYSICIAN 1/10/10 $500 Tea Party Express/Our Country Deserves B
ROY, JACQUES MR
ROCKWALL,TX 75087 JACQUES ROY/PHYSICIAN 10/6/09 $250 Tea Party Express/Our Country Deserves B
ROY, JACQUES MR
ROCKWALL,TX 75087 JACQUES ROY/PHYSICIAN 10/16/09 $200 Tea Party Express/Our Country Deserves B
ROY, JACQUES MR
ROCKWALL,TX 75087 JACQUES ROY/PHYSICIAN 11/6/09 $200 Tea Party Express/Our Country Deserves B
ROY, JACQUES MR
ROCKWALL,TX 75087 JACQUES ROY/PHYSICIAN 8/31/09 $200 Tea Party Express/Our Country Deserves B

[dellinger63]

This doctor needs to be prosecuted to the full extent and if it be life so be it.

More importantly the Medicare/caid system needs to be changed drastically so that a homeless person and a electronic signature is far short of proof of billing for payment.

BTW A man who allegedly made $350 million and donated $1,350 is the equivalent of an average American making $35K and giving 13 cents. Hardly a strong supporter but once again you miss the bad guy/programs choosing to focus on butterflies and clouds.

[Antitrust32]

yeah, I don't see how the Tea Party has ANYTHING to do with the fraud... but hey, grasp at anything.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

yeah, I don't see how the Tea Party has ANYTHING to do with the fraud... but hey, grasp at anything.

you are obviously just not smart enough to understand why it's important.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

This doctor needs to be prosecuted to the full extent and if it be life so be it.

More importantly the Medicare/caid system needs to be changed drastically so that a homeless person and a electronic signature is far short of proof of billing for payment.

BTW A man who allegedly made $350 million and donated $1,350 is the equivalent of an average American making $35K and giving 13 cents. Hardly a strong supporter but once again you miss the bad guy/programs choosing to focus on butterflies and clouds.

LOL. No, you've missed "what I've focused upon" completely. Which is Medicare fraud.

The fact that the guy supports "get your government hands off my Medicare" is just extra superficial irony - equivalent to him living in Texas, land of the free, although you guys didn't pick up on that - that makes his arrest that much sweeter. Hardly the point of the story, but certainly funny.

Too bad you three can't appreciate the humor, preferring instead to make it "serious".

He said that in the last fiscal year alone, they had recovered nearly $4.1 billion in funds “that were stolen or taken improperly from federal healthcare programs.”

This is kind of the point. Kudus to catching the guy.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Riot

LOL. No, you've missed "what I've focused upon" completely. Which is Medicare fraud.

The fact that the guy supports "get your government hands off my Medicare" is just extra superficial irony - equivalent to him living in Texas, land of the free, although you guys didn't pick up on that - that makes his arrest that much sweeter. Hardly the point of the story, but certainly funny.

Too bad you three can't appreciate the humor, preferring instead to make it "serious".



This is kind of the point. Kudus to catching the guy.

When $4.1 billion have been recovered from fraud well then hell yea 'get your hands off my Medicare' and let's find out whether this is the tip of the iceberg.

Funny you complain about Gov's both Dem and Rep trying to balance their budgets with Mortgage fraud money but not a peep of the President using SS money for anything but investing in SS.
Again butterflies and par for the course!

[dellinger63]

BTW in related news:

Obama's brother is still a child rapist unable to travel to England. No word of whether he can come here but looking at Obama's illegal aunt and uncle I'd say yes!

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

When $4.1 billion have been recovered from fraud well then hell yea 'get your hands off my Medicare' and let's find out whether this is the tip of the iceberg.

Funny you complain about Gov's both Dem and Rep trying to balance their budgets with Mortgage fraud money but not a peep of the President using SS money for anything but investing in SS.
Again butterflies and par for the course!

Wow ... there's a segue from one thing to ... something entirely different and completely unassociated Ya get whiplash from that?

I'm pretty impressed with 4.1 billion a year. I don't like Holder, but gotta give him big props here.