Private Ambulance Thieves Busted

[Richard B the EMT]

Lord knows there is no shortage of disgruntled ex-employees in the private transfer ambulance business.

I never would have guessed that (snicker, snicker).

[CBEMT]

I don't know this for sure, but I am betting that the majority of these cases come up, not because of some really competent government investigator, but because some disgruntled ex-employee ratted them out. And Lord knows there is no shortage of disgruntled ex-employees in the private transfer ambulance business.

One of them got a friend's company raided last year, but nothing ever came of it. Local media made a big deal out of the State PD, FBI, DOH, etc showing up, but of course they never broadcast the fact that nobody was ever charged with anything.

[Neup]

Ok, somebody help me out. If you already know you're going to commit Medicare fraud with this transport, why are you DOCUMENTING that fact somewhere other than the paperwork you submit to Medicare? It'd be like murdering somebody, then writing down all the details of the crime and leaving it in your house.

I'd say that the EMT's/medics did well to document the runs as they happened. The fact that the company chose to bill medicare falsely is the company's problem. This is a good example of the benefits of truth in documentation.

Not saying that you didn't know this CB, I just wanted to make sure that the EMT's/medics that did what was right was highlighted and that they were separated from the company that decided to bill for the transports. I'm sure the employees were pressured to "adjust" their documentation to fit the Medicare transport standards.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if you were right, Dust. Especially if the employee was fired or quit because of documentation issues. Probably better than admitting you were busted during "Operation Easy Rider."

Edited June 11, 2009 by Neup

[Adam Swartz]

Is it possible that the ex-employees were forced to resign for doing truthful and accurate documentation? :iiam: Reason I ask is that this case involves proper documentation that tipped off investigators to the fact that the upper management were committing these crimes? Then the ex-employees just verified what the investigators knew. Just my thoughts on this. :iiam:

[Chief1C]

Good thing nobody looked too deeply into how funeral homes ran their ambulance or the influx of private ambulances in the 60's and 70's.. We could go on about this for years and years.

[jshivers21]

what a disgrace... deport them

only one of them is not american the other two were born and raised in america

Is it possible that the ex-employees were forced to resign for doing truthful and accurate documentation? Reason I ask is that this case involves proper documentation that tipped off investigators to the fact that the upper management were committing these crimes? Then the ex-employees just verified what the investigators knew. Just my thoughts on this.

yes but some employees are being investigated also!

[fireflymedic]

Sadly this situation isn't isolated to just that area. Two years ago there was a huge medicare crackdown on the renal roundup in this area and more than a few services lost a good majority of their patients because they had physician statements of neccessity, but in all reality didn't need an ambulance at all for transport. They just didn't want to pay the absurd gas prices so instead they planned for EMS to pick up the tab. It was overwhelming the systems and the patient load was incredible. Well, somehow someone gave medicare a whiff of what was going on and there was one area in particular that went from 40 patients to 7 patients. It still goes on around the area, but since that crackdown it's alot better. Amazing what people will do to fraud.