Return-path: <[log in to unmask]> From: [log in to unmask] Full-name: Tamar40 Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 00:43:02 EST Subject: funny story To: [log in to unmask] CC: [log in to unmask] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1067578982" X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5002 -------------------------------1067578982 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit .. and another thing A California podiatrist's footloose billing habits could land him in prison. Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Dr. Robert Kasamatsu, accusing him of collecting on fraudulent Medicare billing, totaling more than $600,000 over four years. Many elderly people who had never even met Dr. Kasamatsu reported that foot treatments they hadn't received were listed as "paid" on their Medicare statements. Apparently Dr. Kasamatsu accessed their medical records through nursing homes where he sometimes attended to other patients. But he didn't check the records quite carefully enough. Dr. Kasamatsu is also accused of billing Medicare for the treatment of 30 patients who were dead at the time of their supposed procedures. (You can almost imagine a stammering Woody Allen playing the part of Dr. Kasamatsu trying to explain why 30 dead people needed the services of a podiatrist.) But it gets even better: Almost 40 of Dr. K's imaginary patients who had received "treatment" on both feet were actually amputees who were missing either one or both feet. D'oh! It just goes to show: You have to be light on your feet to stay one step ahead of the feds. To Your Good Health, -------------------------------1067578982 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><HEAD> <META charset=3DUTF-8 http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charse= t=3Dutf-8"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f">.. and another thing<BR><BR>A California podiatrist's footloose billing h= abits could land<BR>him in prison. <BR><BR>Last week, a federal grand jury i= ndicted Dr. Robert Kasamatsu,<BR>accusing him of collecting on fraudulent Me= dicare billing,<BR>totaling more than $600,000 over four years. <BR><BR>Many= elderly people who had never even met Dr. Kasamatsu<BR>reported that foot t= reatments they hadn't received were listed<BR>as "paid" on their Medicare st= atements. Apparently Dr. Kasamatsu <BR>accessed their medical records throug= h nursing homes where he<BR>sometimes attended to other patients. <BR><BR>Bu= t he didn't check the records quite carefully enough. <BR><BR>Dr. Kasamatsu=20= is also accused of billing Medicare for the<BR>treatment of 30 patients who=20= were dead at the time of their<BR>supposed procedures. (You can almost imagi= ne a stammering Woody<BR>Allen playing the part of Dr. Kasamatsu trying to e= xplain why 30 <BR>dead people needed the services of a podiatrist.)<BR><BR>B= ut it gets even better: Almost 40 of Dr. K's imaginary patients <BR>who had=20= received "treatment" on both feet were actually amputees <BR>who were missin= g either one or both feet. <BR><BR>D'oh! <BR><BR>It just goes to show: You h= ave to be light on your feet to stay<BR>one step ahead of the feds. <BR><BR>= To Your Good Health,<BR></BODY></HTML> -------------------------------1067578982--