Jury Duty- I can discuss it now

[Full MeTal Jack]

I had the honor of being a juror on a US Federal trial August 18th through September 2, 2008.
US vs Dr. Michael Kim. Medicare Fraud.

Here's a Houston Chronicle story I found Wednesday, 9-3-08 at the Library.
By KEVIN MORAN and DALE LEZON
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
September 28, 2007
"""An attorney for a Houston physician accused of helping defraud the federal government of $29 million said his client is not guilty of the charges. Dr. Michael Kim allegedly took a kickback of $200 for every wheelchair he needlessly prescribed and the companies that sell the chairs allegedly delivered much cheaper "scooters" to applicants. The federal Medicare system paid companies that participated in the scheme $4,200 for wheelchairs when the scooters they delivered cost $1,700, according to a statement issued by the Houston U.S. Attorney's Office on Thursday. "Dr. Kim's contention is he is not guilty of the crimes alleged," said Barry Flynn, his attorney. The 31-count indictment charging Kim with conspiracy, health care fraud and money
laundering was returned Wednesday by a Houston federal grand jury. Kim surrendered to federal agents Thursday morning and made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy later in thousands of Medicare beneficiaries were brought by recruiters to Kirn's medical clinic in the 6400 block of Hillcroft between April 2002 and October 2003. Kirn allegedly approved false certificates of medical need for 20 to 60 patients a day who did not meet the Medicare guidelines to receive motorized wheelchairs, according to the indictment. "It's our position," Flynn said, "that Dr. Kim conducted legitimate medical examinations, including bone density tests, for all patients and that they qualified for the wheelchairs. Further, the evidence will show that Dr. Kim did not give carte-blanche approval for wheelchairs, but refused to prescribe wheelchairs for patients who did not qualify for them." The charges against Kim, 67, carry maximum penalties that range from five to 20 years in prison and from $250,000 to $500,000 in fines. The indictment also seeks reimbursement by Kim of about $13 million the government lost in the alleged fraud scheme."""

This case was in Houston, US Southern District Court. Eventually I was an alternate juror. Dang!!! There was 13 of us. Was not privy to the deliberations. However, I did call a fellow juror afterwards. They, the jury, found Dr. Kim guilty on all 18 counts of Fraud and conspriecy. As it turned out, all of us on the jury did not buy Dr. Kim's defense.
Doctors are held to a higher standard. It was clearly apparent beyond a reasonable doubt he was guilty. During the show me the money phase that this Dr. Dirtbag and his co-conspirters were milking Medicare.
Dr. Kim approved 3,240 first time patients for power wheelchairs when they were not quailified. He denied only 280 patients.
Power wheelchairs are the JOY STICK battery operated wheelchairs to be used in the residence.
On his behalf, he did prescribe a power scooter to one patient and several manual wheelchairs to couple others. A review of 250 the US's files and a 250 random patient files by Dr. Robert Hoover, Executive Director of Medicare's Southern district ( only 4 districts in USA ) found in those files only one person that medically qualified for a power wheelchair which Dr. Kim denied and referred that patient to a specialist.
Dr. Kim admitted to reciecving $100 kickbacks, I mean, quote support unqote for his Bone Density Testing Machine from 3 Durable Medicare Equipment suppliers. DMEs. Convicted felon, Edem Etuk, of PMS a DME co. testified he paid Dr. Kim $200 for each power wheelchair prescription.
The DME Companies recruited Markeeters to bring senior citizens to the kind Dr. Kim to get them qualified for a "Battery Powered Scooter. Kim prescribed a power wheelchair. The DME supplier then delivered scooter and billed Medicare $5000. Medicare reimbursted DME supplier $4200.
$500 to marketeer each client
$200 for each Rx to Doctor
Scooter cost, $900
DME owner + Big Bucks.
PMS, a DME co. did over 1 million in sales the first year in buisness by a first time entrupenure.
Yes he did top out at 60 patients / day with many days at 40-50 new patients a day. All the while billing medicare for a "new patient" moderately complex medical exam. On top of the he was reimbursted $100 for each bone scan. 3240x100=$324,00.00 Bone Density is a condition of Osteoporosis not power wheelchair qualification.

Boys and Girls, how often do YOU monthly deposit 10-20,000 in cash to your bank account? This happened month after month after month for two years when he was only doing Medicare Medicade patients.


Hangem High (after we, the US taxpayers get back some stolen money)

It was an honor to serve as juror #14

[Mooseman684]

1 down....hundreds more doctors getting kickbacks to Go !!!!
It happens all over the country!

[SwedeSteve]

Shoot em all !!

[cheapblaster]

It amazes me that someone smart enough to make it through med school and the grueling hours of residency is dumb enough to do this. That's what all that work was for, the chance to rip off the system? Good riddance to this guy. I have to question if he had the medical ability to handle anything more serious than a hang-nail.

[Full MeTal Jack]

a litte more info, this may lead to a bigger gene pool of defrauders.

Yeah for a doctor, I thought he was a dumb arsh.

[Oxford]

It's all about greed and a lack of personal integrity. This stuff happens all the time because perp's aren't wired correctly. Brains do not automatically equate to being a moral person.

[Midas]

He deserves a behind the barn a$$ whoopin if you ask me!

[big boomer]

I was a juror in a murder trial once the little bastard knifed a preg. woman to death just to see what it felt like. He's back out now to bad we don't have the death penalty here.

[troy2000]

A few years ago, there were dusty, dinky little storefront operations here in California with one or two pieces of equipment displayed in the window, that were each charging the government for hundreds of power wheelchairs and scooters they'd supposedly provided. It was a pretty blatant feeding frenzy by con artists for a while, before it got brought under control. And it's a crying shame, because the fallout has made it a lot harder for people who actually need the equipment to get it.

[Low Profile]

That's generally true for all types of fraud and swindle. The part I can't fathom is why a physician, who has the respect nd trust of society and who makes around $500,000 a year, would risk all that for a lousy $200. What a jackass! He deserves to be in prison.

[Oxford]

Prisons are full of "white collar" criminals. It would take a behavioral psychologist to analyze exactly why their greed overcomes their brain's signals that stealing is bad behavior.

[Full MeTal Jack]

I sent this link to son #1. He use make cold sales calls selling commercial internet service. He said he stumbled on to business that Medicare was there primary source of income. He now said he was supiscsious that those businesses were Medicare related. Then he added, they (the owners) where all Africans.
hmmm?
Jimmy Eking introduced Edem Etuk to the Durable Medicare Equipment SCHEME. Both are Nigerians.
Hmm?

If this little operation resulted in 10 million + $ Medicare fraud, just think of the fraud that would go on if USA had a full National Health Care System!

Troy2K, in California too?