We use cookies, including third-party cookies from Google to serve personalized ads through AdSense, to operate this site and understand how it is used. By continuing to browse, you accept this use. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for details, including how to opt out of personalized advertising.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Prosecuting Medicare Fraud – The Untold Obama Administration Success Story
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Ethics > Prosecuting Medicare Fraud – The Untold Obama Administration Success Story
Medical Ethics

Prosecuting Medicare Fraud – The Untold Obama Administration Success Story

gooznews
gooznews
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

One wonders what the Obama administration has to do to get a little credit. I’m sitting on vacation, looking at the ocean most of the day, and spending about a half hour on line at night erasing unread emails, killing out unread RSS feeds, and checking up on my declining retirement prospects. Amid the clutter, a series of press releases from the Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Department caught my eye. Here are the headlines, with links (I’d link to the press coverage, but near as I can tell, there was none):

One wonders what the Obama administration has to do to get a little credit. I’m sitting on vacation, looking at the ocean most of the day, and spending about a half hour on line at night erasing unread emails, killing out unread RSS feeds, and checking up on my declining retirement prospects. Amid the clutter, a series of press releases from the Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Department caught my eye. Here are the headlines, with links (I’d link to the press coverage, but near as I can tell, there was none):

Miami-Area Doctor Pleads Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
Owner of Miami-Area Mental Health Care Corporation Convicted on All Counts for Orchestrating $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Miami-Area Medical Equipment Company Owners Sentenced to Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme
That was Tuesday. On Monday, the HHS sleuths put out this press release:
FORMER CHAIR OF TEMPLE’S OPHTHALMOLOGY DEPARTMENT CONVICTED OF HEALTH CARE FRAUD
PHILADELPHIA – A federal jury today convicted Dr. Joseph J. Kubacki, 62, of Destin, Florida, of 150 counts of health care fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements in health care matters, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Kubacki was the Chairperson of the Ophthalmology Department of the Temple University School of Medicine and also served as the Assistant Dean for Medical Affairs when, between 2002 and 2007, he caused thousands of false claims to be submitted to health care benefit programs with false charges totaling more than $4.5 million for services rendered to patients whom Kubacki did not personally see or evaluate. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Last month, the actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that costs grew by only 3.9 percent last year (not adjusted for inflation), the slowest rate of growth since the inception of the program. Health care as a share of the economy did not grow for the first time in years. In other words, health care costs last year were essentially “under control.”
Think there’s any connection between slowing health care cost growth and fraud? Here’s a sentence from the final paragraph of the latest press release from the OIG. The “strike force” refers to the special unit set up in CMS to search out fraud, which has gotten a huge boost in funding and support during Obama’s first three years in office:
Since their inception in March 2007, Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,000 individuals who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $2.3 billion.
A billion here, a billion there. After a while we’re talking real money. It’s not that every doctor, hospital, clinic, or durable equipment supplier is a fraudster. But by cracking down on those who are, the rank-and-file Medicare practitioner begins to think twice about over-prescribing Medicare services for his or her patients.
TAGGED:medical ethicsmedical lawmedicare fraud
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5KFollowersLike
4.5KFollowersFollow
2.8KFollowersPin
136KSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Flat editorial illustration: Clinical-trial operations editorial illustration combining healthcare and technology: country-specif
Clinical Study Operations Across Eastern European Research Markets
Health
October 31, 2026
Flat editorial illustration: A health-editorial scene of a first pain-management visit, bringing together attentive consultation,
What to Expect at Your First Pain Management Appointment
Therapies Wellness
October 29, 2026
Flat editorial illustration: The core relationship is medication-only coverage versus coverage for a supervised clinical program.
Medical Weight Loss as a Workplace Benefit: The Questions I Would Want Asked
Weight Loss Wellness
October 29, 2026
Common Questions About Tirzepatide and Medical Monitoring -- AI-generated illustration
Common Questions About Tirzepatide and Medical Monitoring
Health
October 26, 2026

You Might also Like

patient privacy
Medical Ethics

Crucial Steps to Safeguard Patient Privacy in the Digital Age

June 22, 2023
patient data
Global HealthcareHospital AdministrationMedical EthicsMedical RecordsPolicy & Law

The Importance of Keeping Patient Information Secure

May 22, 2014

Britain Shows Support for Genetically Modified Embryos to Prevent Disease

July 1, 2013
Image
Medical Ethics

Two Common Sources of Overtreatment

May 6, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2026 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?