Wells Fargo will pay $105m to settle OC fraud case
By The Associated Press
May 3, 2013
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Wells Fargo Bank will pay $105 million to settle a lawsuit that held it liable for an Orange County fraud scheme that cost investors as much as $1 billion.
The Orange County Register says the settlement was filed Tuesday.
Wells and Bank of New York Mellon were trustees of investor funds for Tustin-based Medical Capital Holdings. MedCap claimed to sell safe investments but authorities say it gambled on risky ventures such as unlicensed hospitals.
Regulators closed the firm in 2009. Its president pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
The investor lawsuit claimed Wells Fargo and Mellon ignored warning signs that MedCap was a fraud. The banks argued that they followed the terms of their contracts.
Mellon settled its case for $114 million.
Showing posts with label healthcare fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthcare fraud. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Friday, November 30, 2012
Kaiser Employee Reported Illicit Patient Charges, Fired
Most Kaiser Permanente management employees, including doctors, understand what is required of them: they must go along with whatever is needed to increase profits. This woman didn't understand how Kaiser and other healthcare entities do business.
Woman: Reported Illicit Patient Charges, Fired
By TISH KRAFT
Courthouse News
November 29, 2012
PORTLAND (CN) - Kaiser fired its director of patient access business services for reporting what she believed was patient fraud, the director says in a complaint filed in Multnomah County Court.
Aimee Mansell sued Kaiser and her boss Lisa Morrison for wrongful termination and whistle blowing.
Mansell says in her complaint that she blew the whistle on Morrison, who had "devised a policy where Emergency Department employees, including Ms. Mansell, would collect an additional 'triage' charge from Emergency Department patients, or include the triage charge on that patient's invoice for services."
Because she believed the charges to be a violation of state and/or federal law, Mansell reported these violations to defendant's complaint hotline, the court complaint says.
"On numerous occasions Ms. Mansell complained to her supervisors, human resources department, and managers at Kaiser about what she believed in good faith were different work related violations which were being committed by defendant Ms. Morrison and other Kaiser employees," her court complaint continues.
"A substantial factor in Kaiser's decision to terminate Ms. Mansell's employment was due to her fulfilling the societal obligation of reporting what she believed in good faith was patient fraud, and by protesting these triage charges which defendant Ms. Morrison had imposed or planned to impose on patient accounts," Mansell says in her complaint.
A few months before she was fired, Mansell was presented an award "In recognition of many achievements and contributions throughout the year," signed by her direct supervisor and defendant Morrison, the Patient Access Business Services Director, according to the complaint.
Plaintiff is represented by Patrick D. Angel of Portland.
Woman: Reported Illicit Patient Charges, Fired
By TISH KRAFT
Courthouse News
November 29, 2012
PORTLAND (CN) - Kaiser fired its director of patient access business services for reporting what she believed was patient fraud, the director says in a complaint filed in Multnomah County Court.
Aimee Mansell sued Kaiser and her boss Lisa Morrison for wrongful termination and whistle blowing.
Mansell says in her complaint that she blew the whistle on Morrison, who had "devised a policy where Emergency Department employees, including Ms. Mansell, would collect an additional 'triage' charge from Emergency Department patients, or include the triage charge on that patient's invoice for services."
Because she believed the charges to be a violation of state and/or federal law, Mansell reported these violations to defendant's complaint hotline, the court complaint says.
"On numerous occasions Ms. Mansell complained to her supervisors, human resources department, and managers at Kaiser about what she believed in good faith were different work related violations which were being committed by defendant Ms. Morrison and other Kaiser employees," her court complaint continues.
"A substantial factor in Kaiser's decision to terminate Ms. Mansell's employment was due to her fulfilling the societal obligation of reporting what she believed in good faith was patient fraud, and by protesting these triage charges which defendant Ms. Morrison had imposed or planned to impose on patient accounts," Mansell says in her complaint.
A few months before she was fired, Mansell was presented an award "In recognition of many achievements and contributions throughout the year," signed by her direct supervisor and defendant Morrison, the Patient Access Business Services Director, according to the complaint.
Plaintiff is represented by Patrick D. Angel of Portland.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Dr. Drew Pinsky responds to allegations he received GlaxoSmithKline payments
Dr. Drew Pinsky responds to allegations he received GlaxoSmithKline payments
By Michelle Castillo
July 4, 2012
(CBS News)
After being accused of taking payments from GlaxoSmithKline to promote the antidepressant Wellbutrin, Dr. Drew Pinksy told CBS News everything he said was in accordance with the law and accurate according to his medical experience.
"In the late 90s I was hired to participate in a 2-year initiative discussing intimacy and depression which was funded by an educational grant by Glaxo Wellcome," Pinksy told HealthPop in a statement. "Services for the non-branded campaign included town hall meetings, writings and multimedia activities in conjunction with the patient advocacy group the National Depresive and Manic Depressive Association (NDMDA). My comments were consistent with my clinical experience."
Pinsky - a board-certified internist, addiction medicine specialist, and radio and television personality - was mentioned in a complaint filed by the U.S. government against the pharmaceutical company, according to the Forbes.
The document states that Pinksy allegedly received two payments in March 2009 and April 2009 from GlaxoSmithKline totaling $275,000 to promote Wellbutrin SR. The Wall Street Journal reported in June 1999, he made statements on "Loveline," a television and radio show he co-hosted, saying that he prescribed Wellbutrin to depressed patients because it "may enhance or at least not suppress sexual arousal" as much as other antidepressants are known to do. Pinsky was also reported to have made comments on other media, including another national radio program called "David Essel - Alive!," Forbes added. In both instances, he did not disclose that he was paid by the company to do so, and he promote uses of Wellbutrin that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
GlaxoSmithKline recently plead guilty and had to pay $3 billion in the largest settlement of health care fraud in U.S. history, HealthPop reported. The company was charged with unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs.
By Michelle Castillo
July 4, 2012
(CBS News)
After being accused of taking payments from GlaxoSmithKline to promote the antidepressant Wellbutrin, Dr. Drew Pinksy told CBS News everything he said was in accordance with the law and accurate according to his medical experience.
"In the late 90s I was hired to participate in a 2-year initiative discussing intimacy and depression which was funded by an educational grant by Glaxo Wellcome," Pinksy told HealthPop in a statement. "Services for the non-branded campaign included town hall meetings, writings and multimedia activities in conjunction with the patient advocacy group the National Depresive and Manic Depressive Association (NDMDA). My comments were consistent with my clinical experience."
Pinsky - a board-certified internist, addiction medicine specialist, and radio and television personality - was mentioned in a complaint filed by the U.S. government against the pharmaceutical company, according to the Forbes.
The document states that Pinksy allegedly received two payments in March 2009 and April 2009 from GlaxoSmithKline totaling $275,000 to promote Wellbutrin SR. The Wall Street Journal reported in June 1999, he made statements on "Loveline," a television and radio show he co-hosted, saying that he prescribed Wellbutrin to depressed patients because it "may enhance or at least not suppress sexual arousal" as much as other antidepressants are known to do. Pinsky was also reported to have made comments on other media, including another national radio program called "David Essel - Alive!," Forbes added. In both instances, he did not disclose that he was paid by the company to do so, and he promote uses of Wellbutrin that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
GlaxoSmithKline recently plead guilty and had to pay $3 billion in the largest settlement of health care fraud in U.S. history, HealthPop reported. The company was charged with unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs.
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