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- Feb 14, 2021
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For those who are paying a little bit of attention to the 'politics-du-jour' news, you will be aware that candidate Don Trump made remarks suggesting he'd cut Social Security and Medicare benefits. And then, when the predictable blow-back occurred he attempted some 'clean-up-in-Aisle 5' remarks.
Today's New York Times noted the brouhaha and then recalled Don Trump's 'pardon' an 'commutation' actions near the end of his term in office. In short, Trump pardoned a number of big-time --and now very rich ---Medicare fraudsters. It's a big article, but here are some 'taster' paragraphs. Most of you can go to your online subscription to the Times and read the whole enchilada.
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"....former president Donald Trump has vowed in recent days that he would reduce spending on Social Security and Medicare by targeting waste and fraud in those programs.
However, a review of Trump’s record shows that, in the closing months of his presidency, he used his clemency powers to help several people convicted in major Medicare fraud cases, including commuting the sentence of a man the Justice Department had described as having “orchestrated one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history.”
In his last year in office, Trump commuted the sentences of at least five people who collectively filed nearly $1.6 billion in fraudulent claims through Medicare or Medicaid.
Louis Saccoccio, CEO of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, called the Trump clemency orders “disappointing”.......
“These are complicated cases, and usually it will take months if not, in many cases, years — maybe two, three years — to bring these cases to trial,” Saccoccio said. “Obviously, you want to send a message with respect to health-care fraud that it’s not going to be tolerated.”
Saccoccio said that in addition to the financial consequences of Medicare fraud, many cases result in patient harm. Saccoccio cited the case of Melgen, the Florida ophthalmologist, who prosecutors said would perform and bill Medicare for unnecessary injections and laser treatments on his elderly patients after falsely diagnosing them with macular degeneration."
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I include this story in the forum as it is indicative of the hypocrisy we all fear. And it again raises the suspicion that under-the-table financial benefits may have passed hands to obtain these pardons.
In fact, there were several reportages about 'pardons-for-sale'.
Here's just one from Business Insider:
www.businessinsider.com
Today's New York Times noted the brouhaha and then recalled Don Trump's 'pardon' an 'commutation' actions near the end of his term in office. In short, Trump pardoned a number of big-time --and now very rich ---Medicare fraudsters. It's a big article, but here are some 'taster' paragraphs. Most of you can go to your online subscription to the Times and read the whole enchilada.
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"Trump granted clemency to Medicare fraudsters before vowing to cut entitlement program abuse"
"....former president Donald Trump has vowed in recent days that he would reduce spending on Social Security and Medicare by targeting waste and fraud in those programs.
However, a review of Trump’s record shows that, in the closing months of his presidency, he used his clemency powers to help several people convicted in major Medicare fraud cases, including commuting the sentence of a man the Justice Department had described as having “orchestrated one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history.”
In his last year in office, Trump commuted the sentences of at least five people who collectively filed nearly $1.6 billion in fraudulent claims through Medicare or Medicaid.
- Among them was Judith Negron, the former owner of a Miami-area mental health company who was sentenced in 2011 to 35 years in prison for her role in filing $205 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and ordered to pay more than $87 million in restitution. Trump commuted her sentence in February 2020.
- Trump also granted clemency that year to Daniela Gozes-Wagner, a Houston woman who was sentenced in 2019 to 20 years in prison for helping falsely bill more than $28 million in claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medical tests that either never happened or were unnecessary. Those tests supposedly took place at 28 testing facilities that turned out to be empty offices — and prosecutors said Gozes-Wagner went so far as to hire “seat warmers” at those offices who were instructed to notify her if Medicare investigators arrived.
- In December 2020, Trump commuted the sentence of Philip Esformes, who had been convicted in 2019 “for his role in the largest health care fraud scheme ever charged by the Justice Department, involving over $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not provided, were not medically necessary or were procured through the payment of kickbacks,” the department said.
- Last month, Esformes pleaded guilty to Medicare fraud again after being retried on unsettled charges that were not included in Trump’s clemency order.
- In the final days of his presidency, Trump granted clemency to Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor who had been sentenced to 17 years in prison after being convicted for his role in defrauding Medicare out of $42 million; and to John Estin Davis, a Tennessee health-care executive who had been sentenced the year before to 42 months in prison after being convicted for his role in filing over $4.6 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Louis Saccoccio, CEO of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, called the Trump clemency orders “disappointing”.......
“These are complicated cases, and usually it will take months if not, in many cases, years — maybe two, three years — to bring these cases to trial,” Saccoccio said. “Obviously, you want to send a message with respect to health-care fraud that it’s not going to be tolerated.”
Saccoccio said that in addition to the financial consequences of Medicare fraud, many cases result in patient harm. Saccoccio cited the case of Melgen, the Florida ophthalmologist, who prosecutors said would perform and bill Medicare for unnecessary injections and laser treatments on his elderly patients after falsely diagnosing them with macular degeneration."
---------------------------------------------------------------
I include this story in the forum as it is indicative of the hypocrisy we all fear. And it again raises the suspicion that under-the-table financial benefits may have passed hands to obtain these pardons.
In fact, there were several reportages about 'pardons-for-sale'.
Here's just one from Business Insider:
Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani plotted to sell presidential pardons for $2 million a piece, former staffer says in lawsuit
Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani plotted to sell presidential pardons for $2 million a piece, former staffer says in lawsuit
In a lawsuit filed against Trump's former lawyer, a staffer alleged she was told to refer people seeking off-record pardons directly to Giuliani.
www.businessinsider.com
