Tag:

Medicaid

Multi-Million Dollar Scheme: 8 NYers Accused Of Scamming Government For Services Never Provided Multi-Million Dollar Scheme: 8 NYers Accused Of Scamming Government For Services Never Provided
Multi-Million Dollar Scheme: 8 NYers Accused Of Scamming Government For Services Never Provided Eight New Yorkers who owned, operated, or were employees of several transportation companies have been accused of scamming the government out of millions of dollars for services never provided. The indictments were unsealed on Long Island at federal court in Central Islip on Tuesday, June 11. Seven of the eight are from Long Island and the other from New York City: Noman Ahmed, age 37, Port Jefferson Station; Adnan Arshad, also known as “Eddie,” age 45, Mount Sinai; Rehman Diwan, age 24, Hicksville; Jessica Hendrickson, age 36, Patchogue; Jose Marte, age 33, …
Westchester Ambulette Company To Shut Down Due To Financial Hardship Westchester Ambulette Company To Shut Down Due To Financial Hardship
Westchester Ambulette Company To Shut Down Due To Financial Hardship As a result of financial hardship, a Northern Westchester-based ambulette service will soon shut down, affecting hundreds of daily medical trips.  Mount Kisco-based United Transportation Providers of Westchester County, Inc. will be shutting down its ambulette services for Westchester residents with serious medical conditions and mobility difficulties at the end of the day on Friday, March 8, the company announced.  The decision to end services came as a result of financial hardship. According to the company, the service cannot continue to operate while being reimbursed at 30 perc…
NY Doctor Forced Invasive, Unnecessary Tests On Patients, Attorney General Claims NY Doctor Forced Invasive, Unnecessary Tests On Patients, Attorney General Claims
NY Doctor Forced Invasive, Unnecessary Tests On Patients, Attorney General Claims A New York doctor has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a kickback scheme that involved him defrauding Medicaid and giving patients unnecessary tests, officials announced. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday, Nov. 22 the indictment of Long Island resident Payam Toobian, M.D., alongside his company, America’s Imaging Center, Inc., for over 10 years of alleged Medicaid fraud. Through his corporation, Toobian, age 51, of King's Point, ran Empire’s Imaging, a diagnostic radiology center based in Queens. From January 2006 to August 2017, the AG’s Office …
Welfare Fraud: 3 Women From Region Charged With Theft Of Funds Welfare Fraud: 3 Women From Region Charged With Theft Of Funds
Welfare Fraud: 3 Women From Region Charged With Theft Of Funds Three women from the region have been charged with allegedly stealing government funds following an investigation by the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force. Those charged are: Lisa Keitt, age 26, of Liberty, was arrested and charged on Sunday, March 19, and charged with theft of services and offering a false instrument. It is alleged that Keitt stole services totaling $505.74 in Medicaid transportation benefits. On Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, and on eight other dates, Keitt obtained a medical transportation ride by deception to two separate medical facilities to which s…
$8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims $8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims
$8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims A Westchester man will spend years in prison after billing more than $8 million in false transportation service claims as part of a multi-million-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme.  Yonkers resident Julio Alvarado, age 63, was sentenced to 95 months in prison on Wednesday, March 29 for leading the scheme which ended up defrauding Medicaid out of millions of dollars, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Alvarado was responsible for billing more than $8 million in fraudulent transportation services for Medicaid…
Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says
Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says Millions of dollars in public funding that should’ve gone to caring for residents of a New York nursing home were instead diverted into the pockets of its greedy owners, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. The suit, filed Friday, Dec. 16, alleges a years-long fraud scheme carried out by the owners of Long Island’s Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, located in Woodbury. Earlier Report: East Meadow Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, AG Says An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that…
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says Sexual abuse, unexplained bruising, unanswered call bells, and humiliating missed trips to the bathroom. Those were just some of the horrors experienced by residents at a New York nursing home stemming from a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. Related Report: East Meadow Nursing Home Employee Sexually Assaulted Resident, Boss Covered Up Crime, DA Says The suit, filed Tuesday, Dec. 13, alleges that the owners of Long Island’s Fulton Commons Care Center, located in East Meadow, exploited New York’s Medicaid program to enrich themsel…
NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme
NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme A New York doctor is accused of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of over $1.3 million. Federal prosecutors allege that Dr. Perry Frankel, age 64, of Roslyn, in Nassau County, submitted false billing claims to Medicare and Medicaid for office visits that were never performed for patients who received COVID-19 tests. The tests were done at mobile sites across Long Island through Frankel’s cardiology clinic, Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics PLLC, located in Great Neck. Frankel was not even in New York when some of the alleged office visits occurred, prosecutors said. “As alleged, exploiti…
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company A Westchester doctor who practiced in Manhattan has been sentenced to five years in prison for taking bribes from drug companies for prescribing fentanyl. Jeffrey Goldstein, of New Rochelle, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 16, for violating the anti-kickback statute after receiving more than $200,000 from Subsys’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics, in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray, said. Audrey Strauss, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Goldstein, age 51, previously pleaded guilty, in August 2019, the United States Attorney's Office sa…
COVID-19: Westchester County Executive Warns Of Uninsured Being Charged For Vaccinations COVID-19: Westchester County Executive Warns Of Uninsured Being Charged For Vaccinations
Covid-19: Westchester County Executive Warns Of Uninsured Being Charged For Vaccinations Some Westchester residents who lack health insurance have been illegally charged for the COVID-19 vaccine, County Executive George Latimer is cautioning. During his bi-weekly COVID-19 briefing on Monday, April 5, Latimer said that his office has received multiple reports of uninsured residents being charged $20 by some providers to administer the vaccine. Latimer noted that there “should be no out-of-pocket cost to any individual for the COVID-19 vaccine, which is to be provided to all eligible parties for free, as per the guidance from the federal and state governments." According to Lati…
COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says
Covid-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 nursing home scandal could lead to federal charges, according to a longtime prosecutor. John Daukas, who was acting attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under President Donald Trump, said that Cuomo could face criminal charges after underreporting nursing home deaths and then attempting to cover it up. Earlier story - COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Fallout Increases As More Dems Turn On Cuomo, Feds Launch Probe In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Daukas said that Cuomo’s administration misled the public, and the …
COVID-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure COVID-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure
Covid-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure With pressure coming from both sides of the aisle into investigating New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has vowed sweeping reform as part of the 30-day amendments. Cuomo announced reforms to improve the health, quality of life, and safety of nursing home residents to ensure that “facilities prioritize patient care over profits.” “You can’t say to a nursing home that ‘either you can buy new beds, or you can make more money,' " Cuomo said during a COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Feb. 19. “It’s not a matter of hiring more staff or …
Cuomo Proposes Raising Taxes On Wealthiest NYers Cuomo Proposes Raising Taxes On Wealthiest NYers
Cuomo Proposes Raising Taxes On Wealthiest NYers With New York facing a record-setting $15 billion deficit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposal includes a potential tax hike for the state’s wealthiest residents. In his budget proposal this week, Cuomo proposed raising taxes on the rich to a combined level of 14.7 percent, which would be the highest state and local tax rate in the nation as New York looks to dig out of the financial hole created during the pandemic. The top tax rate would rise to 10.86 percent, up from 8.82 percent, making it the highest income tax in the nation. It would only impact those making…
COVID-19: Westchester, Suffolk Can Resume Elective Surgeries; Horse Racing Tracks To Reopen COVID-19: Westchester, Suffolk Can Resume Elective Surgeries; Horse Racing Tracks To Reopen
Covid-19: Westchester, Suffolk Can Resume Elective Surgeries; Horse Racing Tracks To Reopen Horse racing tracks across New York State and Watkins Glen International Racetrack will be allowed to open without fans amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Those openings will be effective as of Monday, June 1. The state will issue guidance on how they can open safely reopen in the coming week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced at his news briefing on Saturday, May 16 that two more counties -- Westchester and Suffolk -- are now eligible to resume elective surgeries and ambulatory care.  Cuomo previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments…
Trump Administration Cancels $8 Billion Healthcare Grant For New York, Cuomo Says Trump Administration Cancels $8 Billion Healthcare Grant For New York, Cuomo Says
Trump Administration Cancels $8 Billion Healthcare Grant For New York, Cuomo Says President Donald Trump’s administration is canceling an $8 billion healthcare grant that had been awarded to New York six years ago, drawing the ire of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo said that healthcare funding for New York which was previously granted in 2014 had been canceled by the president’s administration.  The $8 billion was earmarked to allow the state to transition healthcare services from primarily hospital driven to more of a community-based healthcare system. “If there's one area that you'd think should be beyond politics, it's healthcare,” Cuomo said. “And what the federal gov…
22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate 22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate
22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate An upstart 22-year-old from the area announced his intention to run for the New York State Senate. Rockland resident Matthew Weinberg, a Republican, is the latest candidacy to throw his hat into the ring for the New York State Senate District 38 seat that has been held by Democratic Sen. David Carlucci since 2010. Carlucci will be challenging for the retiring Nita Lowey’s seat in New York’s 17th congressional district.  In a statement, Weinberg, of Suffern, cited "disunity within his district, depressed property values due to some of the highest property and school taxes in the nation,…
Man Who Admitted Killing Family, Dog Faced Fraud Probe In Connecticut Man Who Admitted Killing Family, Dog Faced Fraud Probe In Connecticut
Man Who Admitted Killing Family, Dog Faced Fraud Probe In Connecticut The 44-year-old father of three from Connecticut accused of killing his wife, children and family dog in Florida was reportedly being accused by federal investigators for insurance fraud over the span of several years. Anthony Todt, of Colchester, Connecticut, reportedly confessed to killing his family in Celebration, Florida, last month after being taken into custody by Osceola Sheriff’s deputies. Deputies were called to a residence in Florida on Monday, Jan. 13, to the home that the Todt family was leasing. A man - now identified as Todt - was seen taken away in handcuffs, and officials …
Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown
Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown Two doctors, a pharmacy owner, pharmacist who lost his license and a registered nurse are facing charges for their roles in a $17 million fraud scheme. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York announced that Anna Steiner, 63, Denny Martin, 46, Andrew Barrett, 60, Phyllis Pincus, 58, and Kevin McMahon, 31, have been charged for defrauding the Medicare and Medicaid programs by overbilling them by millions of dollars. It is alleged that Steiner, a licensed anesthesiologist from Valatie in Columbia County, New York, was involved in a $17.4 million scheme related …
NY State Part Of $209.2M Nationwide Settlement With Walgreens Over Medicaid Fraud NY State Part Of $209.2M Nationwide Settlement With Walgreens Over Medicaid Fraud
NY State Part Of $209.2M Nationwide Settlement With Walgreens Over Medicaid Fraud Walgreens has agreed to a nationwide settlement with New York and federal lawmakers regarding allegations of fraudulent over-dispensing of insulin pens at Walgreens pharmacies. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that an agreement has been reached resolving allegations that Walgreens knowingly engaged in fraudulent conduct when it dispensed insulin pens. According to James, “when filling insulin prescriptions, Walgreens did not always adhere to the dosage outlined by the prescribing doctor, but rather dispensed insulin pens in boxes containing five pens, regardless of the pati…
Latimer: Balancing Next Budget Calls For Creative, Tough Decisions Latimer: Balancing Next Budget Calls For Creative, Tough Decisions
Latimer: Balancing Next Budget Calls For Creative, Tough Decisions County Executive George Latimer said balancing next year's county budget requires creative solutions but also some tough decisions. Latimer has introduced his proposed $1.94 billion to the county Board of Legislators, which can revise the budget before its passage next month. In a Wednesday speech before the Business Council of Westchester, Latimer, a 65-year-old Democrat from Rye, said, "That was a fast year." He spoke to the group a year ago after defeating Republican Rob Astorino. Latimer pointed out that he inherited a multi-million dollar budget deficit and depleted reserves but …
Hudson Valley Taxi Cab Company Owner Charged With Stealing $200K Hudson Valley Taxi Cab Company Owner Charged With Stealing $200K
Hudson Valley Taxi Cab Company Owner Charged With Stealing $200K The owner and operator of a Hudson Valley taxicab company has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $200,000 from Medicaid through the submission of false claims for medical transportation services. Richard Quitoni, 29, who owns and operates Quitoni Transportation Inc. in Middletown, was arrested and arraigned in Orange County this week, Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced on Wednesday. Underwood is alleging that from Aug. 30, 2013, through Oct. 1 last year, Quitoni submitted false claims seeking inflated levels of payment from Medicaid by allegedly submitting individual m…
Westchester Nurse Sentenced In $390K Scam Westchester Nurse Sentenced In $390K Scam
Westchester Nurse Sentenced In $390K Scam A former registered nurse who stole nearly $400,000 from by making false claims to Medicaid while caring for severely disabled patients in Westchester County is going to spend a year behind bars and has been ordered to pay restitution for his crimes. Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced on Monday that Seymour, Connecticut resident Collins Anyanwu-Mueller has been sentenced to one year in jail, and must pay $367,954 in restitution after pleading guilty to stealing from Medicaid over a five-year span by making false claims regarding care to patients he never provided. Anyanwu-Mueller …
St. John's Riverside Hospital In Westchester Seeks Partnership St. John's Riverside Hospital In Westchester Seeks Partnership
St. John's Riverside Hospital In Westchester Seeks Partnership St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, announced on Wednesday, March 28, that it has issued a Request For Proposals to major healthcare systems to explore a future partnership arrangement.  It's one of last two remaining independent hospitals in Westchester County. The RFP process is expected to take 18 to 24 months “The changing healthcare landscape mandates that we reconsider our current business model in order to continue to serve the community with state-of-the-art care and remain as an important and valued economic contributor to our local community," said Ron Corti, the hospit…