BS: Medicare Physicians

Subject: BS: Medicare Democrats
From: beardedbruce
Date: 10 Apr 14 - 12:42 PM

Political Ties of Top Billers for Medicare

The New York Times By FRANCES ROBLES and ERIC LIPTON

MIAMI — Two Florida doctors who received the nation's highest Medicare reimbursements in 2012 are both major contributors to Democratic Party causes, and they have turned to the political system in recent years to defend themselves against suspicions that they may have submitted fraudulent or excessive charges to the federal government.

The pattern of large Medicare payments and six-figure political donations shows up among several of the doctors whose payment records were released for the first time this week by the Department of Health and Human Services. For years, the department refused to make the data public, and finally did so only after being sued by The Wall Street Journal.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/political-ties-top-billers-medicare-053637053.html

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Democrats
From: Greg F.
Date: 10 Apr 14 - 01:28 PM

So?

What's the political affiliation of the other 342 doctors cited?

Of course, there's no possibility that any of them contribute to Republican Party causes, or the aggregate of those in the study donating to the Repugs is greater than that donating to the Dems..

By the way, any of 'em Black, Bruce?

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Democrats
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Apr 14 - 01:32 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/04/09/the-top-10-medicare-billers-explain-why-they-charged-121m-in-one-year/


The top 10 billers without their political affiliations noted, lest anyone think this post is politically motivated.

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 10 Apr 14 - 02:13 PM

Medicare Republican

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: Greg F.
Date: 10 Apr 14 - 02:35 PM

The top 10 billers without their political affiliations noted, lest anyone think this post is politically motivated.

Oh, please. Bruce's thread is, of course, politically motivated. The article you quote may not be.

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: beardedbruce
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 10:08 AM

Doctor        City        Specialty        Total Medicare payments        Doctor comp.        Office overhead        Malpractice prem.        Drugs & other
Salomon Melgen        West Palm Beach, FL        Ophth.        $20.8        $2.5        $6.1        $0.4        $11.8
Asad Qamar        Ocala, FL        Cardio.        $18.2        $1.2        $16.4        $0.3        $0.3
Michael McGinnis        Wrightstown, NJ        Path.        $12.6        $2.5        $10.0        $0.1        $0.0
Franklin Cockerill        Rochester, MN        Path.        $11.1        $0.1        $0.6        $0.0        $10.3
Alexander Eaton        Fort Meyers, FL        Ophth.        $10.7        $1.1        $1.9        $0.2        $7.6
Vasso Godiali        Bay City, MI        Vasc.        $10.1        $2.0        $7.0        $0.3        $0.8
Farid Fata        Rochester Hills, MI        Hem./Onc.        $10.1        $0.7        $1.1        $0.1        $8.2
John Welch        Hastings, NE        Ophth.        $9.5        $0.6        $0.6        $0.0        $8.3
John Wilson        Merrillville, IN        Ophth.        $9.3        $1.0        $1.2        $0.1        $7.0
Minh Nguyen        Newport Beach, CA        Hem./Onc.        $9.0        $0.3        $1.1        $0.0        $7.6

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: pdq
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 10:43 AM

"Tags
Children, Corruption, Planes, Politics, Scandal, Sex, USA

A letter allegedly written by a Dominican woman claims that Sen. Bob Menendez had sexual relations with prostitutes, attended sex parties, and may have even slept with minors.

In an e-mail written nine months ago but published Jan. 31 by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a young Dominican woman claims she slept with 59-year-old Menendez at a number of sex parties organized in the Dominican Republic by his campaign donor, Dr. Salomon Melgen. She claims she had sex with the senator "three times at least" in 2009.

"The first one in February, and then in May and June. I recall his visit in June so well because that month was my 17th birthday," allegedly wrote the prostitute.

"That senator also likes the youngest and newest girls," the woman added. "In the beginning he seemed so serious, because he never spoke to anyone, but he is just like the others and has just about the same tastes as the doctor, very refined. I think they were taking us more often to get us checked [medically] because of him."

Those who translated the letter from Spanish to English say the writing indicates that the woman could be very young and unsophisticated and may indeed have been a minor when she started engaging in sexual intercourse with Menendez.

Since November, Menendez has been suspected of soliciting prostitutes, but the letter from the Dominican girl presents the most detailed allegations so far. The senator on Thursday denied the allegations against him, despite the new evidence. The FBI on Thursday raided the office of Melgen, who also denies the claims.

The Dominican prostitute claims the senator and Dr. Melgen took numerous trips to the Dominican Republic by private plane and then paid multiple prostitutes to attend their organized sex parties. The girl provided detailed descriptions of the pimp and the houses where she slept with the guests. But she also expressed fear of revealing herself.

"The thing that worries me the most is that if they know that I spoke with someone they will find me," she wrote. CREW released her name, but most media outlets citing the letter have decided to withhold it, since she may have been a minor at the time of her relations with Menendez.

Prostitution is legal in the Dominican Republic, but Menendez has heavily condemned the Cuban government for creating economic conditions that led to widespread prostitution.

In a 2009 Senate floor speech – the same year he allegedly slept with the Dominican prostitute – he denounced the Cuban government for failing to address poverty in a country where the average worker was living on an income of less than $1 a day.

"The widespread desperation of families has forced far too many young girls and boys into becoming sex workers, even though defenders of the Revolution constantly cite the elimination of prostitution as one of its supposed accomplishments," Menendez said. In a separate speech, he criticized a congressman for trying to lift travel restrictions to Cuba, claiming that foreign tourists would take advantage of Cuban women.

But that's exactly what Menendez may have done himself – except in the Dominican Republic instead of Cuba. The Daily Caller on Friday discovered that Menendez wrote Melgen a check on Jan. 4 to cover the cost of private jet travel to the Dominican Republic. Melgen had long been suspected of providing the senator with free trips, but the senator reimbursed him this month with a $58,500 check for two trips that were taken in 2010. The checks confirm that Mendendez took trips to the Dominican Republic, but may also protect him from legal trouble.

The Senate Ethics Committee only allows senators to accept job-related perks or gifts, including free travel, if they are reported to the committee and approved. Menendez's check to his campaign donor was written two years after the trips, indicating that recent media coverage about the scandal may have prompted him to do so to prevent legal problems regarding his finances, since he did not report his travels to the committee.

But in wake of a flurry of evidence against him, the senator continues to deny all allegations. After speaking at a New Jersey Chamber of Commerce dinner on Thursday, Menendez ignored reporters who tried to question him after the event.

Menendez and his ex-wife, whom he has two children with, divorced in 2005 – four years before he allegedly began to attend the sex parties."

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 10:59 AM

Just research. Wasn't (isn't) he the chair of the foreign relations committee?

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: pdq
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 11:18 AM

chair of the foreign relations committee


priceless

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: Greg F.
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 12:20 PM

Fascinating chart, Bruce.

I can't seem to find the political affiliation of the doctor on it, though, nor the amount of their political donations.

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: Greg F.
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 12:21 PM

PeeDee, your 11 Apr 14 - 10:43 AM post reads like something lifted directly from the Senator Joe McCarthy Playbook.

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 02:16 PM

It is difficult to assess the actual income of these doctors, since they operate clinics.
The second on the list, Qamar, has at least three clinics with some 170 employees. Named doctors are seven, there may be more. Total payments of $18 million looks large, but it covers the entire operation and staff.

I have not checked others on the list, but even here in Calgary, several clinics whose operations are in the multimillion category.

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Apr 14 - 10:43 PM

Nice list Bruce:

JEW

ARAB

IRISH

BRIT

BRIT

INDIAN

ARAB

PAKI

AMERICAN

VIETNAM

Sincerely,

would anyone ... with a choice...select ANY doctor who received under 100K?

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 02:48 AM

'Paki' isn't a very nice word in UK. It has racist connotations.

Subject: RE: BS: Medicare Physicians
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 12:50 PM

Paki- Michael Hussein, BBC broadcaster, called herself a Paki on a program based on her background and relatives.
Perhaps the abbreviation lacks the connotations among Pakistanis themselves.

The list from 'guest' is misleading. Dr. Qamar is originally from Pakistan, not Arabic, and received specialist training in UK. Dr.Godiali (called a Paki on the list by 'guest' received his training at the Pavlov Institute in Leningrad; not sure of his origin. He is well-known as a vascular surgeon.
Michael McGinnis, Pathology Corporation of America, is American-born, received his early training in Nevada; credentials not only in NJ but at the Southwestern Medical Center.

and etc.