#Personal injury attorney in Dahlonega

[leibellawpm]

Leibel Law - Steven Leibel, P.C.

Website: https://www.leibel.com/paul-menair

Address: 3619 S Chestatee, Dahlonega, GA 30533

Phone: [phone]

Paul Menair has practiced law for nearly two decades. He obtained his J.D. in 2002 and was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2003.

After graduating from Georgia State University, Menair clerked for a United States District Court judge, handling dispositive motions at the trial level in federal court. After his clerkship, he went on to private practice, focusing primarily on civil litigation in both state and federal court, ranging from complex business, estate, and fiduciary disputes to tort and civil rights litigation.

Although Menair's practice has mainly focused on litigation, he also has substantial transactional experience, including drafting and modification of trust and estate documents, contract drafting and review, and advising on fiduciary and corporate governance matters.

Menair is a certified mediator and is admitted to practice law in Georgia. He also holds a Ph.D. in history and has taught at the undergraduate level.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawOfficeofStevenLeibel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenleibel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leibellaw1/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenleibel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT-jX_Wm37tz-MIq40HTc_w/videos

Avvo: https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/30028-ga-steven-leibel-668383.html

#Paul Menair Attorney #Paul Menair Attorney in Dahlonega #Personal injury attorney in Dahlonega #Dahlonega Personal injury attorney #Personal injury attorney

[leibellawba]

Website: https://www.leibel.com/boating-accidents

Address: 3619 S Chestatee, Dahlonega, GA 30533

Phone: [phone]

At Leibel Law, our North Georgia personal injury lawyers are committed to making sure that victims get the money that they need to take care of their medical bills, their families, and their future. We represent families of those who have been killed in accidents; compensation can be obtained for related medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. The Law Offices of Steven Leibel is a personal injury law firm located in Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Cumming and Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 30 years, we have been providing victims of injuries and accidents throughout North Georgia with the dedicated service, personal attention, and zealous representation necessary to achieve winning verdicts and settlements.

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/LawOfficeofStevenLeibel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leibellaw/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenleibel?lang=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenleibel/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT-jX_Wm37tz-MIq40HTc_w/videos

#Personal injury attorney in Dahlonega #Georgia #Dahlonega Personal Injury Attorney #Personal injury lawyer #Boating accidents attorney #boating accidents lawyer #Lawyer in North Georgia #North Georgia Boating Accident Lawyers #North Georgia Boating Accident Attorney"

[leibellawpa]

Leibel Law - Steven Leibel, P.C.

Website: https://www.leibel.com/pedestrian-accidents

Address: 3619 S Chestatee, Dahlonega, GA 30533

Phone: [phone]

At Leibel Law, our North Georgia personal injury lawyers are committed to making sure that victims get the money that they need to take care of their medical bills, their families, and their future. We represent families of those who have been killed in accidents; compensation can be obtained for related medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. The Law Offices of Steven Leibel is a personal injury law firm located in Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Cumming and Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 30 years, we have been providing victims of injuries and accidents throughout North Georgia with the dedicated service, personal attention, and zealous representation necessary to achieve winning verdicts and settlements.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawOfficeofStevenLeibel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenleibel

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenleibel/

Avvo: https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/30028-ga-steven-leibel-668383.html

#Pedestrian Accidents in north georiga #Pedestrian Accidents in dahlongega #dahlonega Pedestrian Accidents lawyer #dahlonega Pedestrian Accidents #Pedestrian Accidents lawyer near me #Pedestrian Accidents attorney near me

[lausalpc]

Leibel Law - Steven Leibel, P.C.

Website: https://www.leibel.com/bus-accidents

Address: 3619 S Chestatee, Dahlonega, GA 30533

Phone: [phone]

At Leibel Law, our North Georgia personal injury lawyers are committed to making sure that victims get the money that they need to take care of their medical bills, their families, and their future. We represent families of those who have been killed in accidents; compensation can be obtained for related medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. The Law Offices of Steven Leibel is a personal injury law firm located in Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Cumming and Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 30 years, we have been providing victims of injuries and accidents throughout North Georgia with the dedicated service, personal attention, and zealous representation necessary to achieve winning verdicts and settlements.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawOfficeofStevenLeibel/

Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenleibel/

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT-jX_Wm37tz-MIq40HTc_w/videos

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenleibel

Avvo: https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/30028-ga-steven-leibel-668383.html

[uslalepc]

Leibel Law - Steven Leibel, P.C.

Website: https://www.leibel.com/cumming-ga-brain-injury-attorney

Address: 6150 GA-400 c, Cumming, GA 30028

Phone:[phone]

At Leibel Law, our North Georgia personal injury lawyers are committed to ensuring that victims get the money they need to take care of their medical bills, families, and future. We represent families of those killed in accidents; compensation can be obtained for related medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. The Law Offices of Steven Leibel is a personal injury law firm located in Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Cumming, and Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 30 years, we have provided victims of injuries and accidents throughout North Georgia with the dedicated service, personal attention, and zealous representation necessary to win verdicts and settlements.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawOfficeofStevenLeibel/?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenleibel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenleibel?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT-jX_Wm37tz-MIq40HTc_w/videos

[leibellawstevenleibelpcga]

Leibel Law - Steven Leibel, P.C.

Website: https://www.leibel.com/forsyth-county-ga-brain-injury-attorney

Address: 6150 GA-400 c, Cumming, GA 30028

Phone: [phone]

At Leibel Law, our North Georgia personal injury lawyers are committed to ensuring that victims get the money they need to take care of their medical bills, families, and future. We represent families of those killed in accidents; compensation can be obtained for related medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. The Law Offices of Steven Leibel is a personal injury law firm located in Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Cumming, and Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 30 years, we have provided victims of injuries and accidents throughout North Georgia with the dedicated service, personal attention, and zealous representation necessary to win verdicts and settlements.

[spauldinginjurylawcumming]

How the Insurance Company Tries to Avoid Payment After A Motorcycle Accident - Spaulding Injury Law

Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, Theodore Spaulding, examines how insurance companies try to avoid the maximum payment after a motorcycle accident. If you have any questions, please visit Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming 327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67 39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming Spaulding Injury Law - Personal accident attorney Cumming, GALearn more about Spaulding Injury Law in Cumming: Cumming Personal Injury Lawyer - Spaulding Injury LawLearn much more with respect to Spaulding Injury Lawon these web sites: Beta Cash - Spaulding Injury Law ❓ 💰 🙏 🏧 💺 ⚖ #websites #injuryattorney #personalinjuryhttps://i1.ytimg.com/vi/L5fZJr6GmCM/hqdefault.jpg

Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, Theodore Spaulding, examines how insurance companies try to avoid the maximum payment after a motorcycle accident. If you have any questions, please visit https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/atlanta/motorcycle-accident-lawyer or contact us at [phone]. Read our Google reviews: https://bit.ly/SpauldingInjuryLawReviews Spaulding Injury Law 50 Hurt Plaza SE #1536 Atlanta, GA 30303 [phone] https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com .video-container {position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%;padding-top: 1px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;} .video-container iframe, .video-container object, .video-container embed {position: absolute;top: 0;LEFT: 0;width: 100%;height: 100%;}

Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming

327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67+39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming

Spaulding Injury Law - Personal accident attorney Cumming, GA

Learn more about Spaulding Injury Law in Cumming:

Cumming Personal Injury Lawyer - Spaulding Injury Law

Learn much more with respect to Spaulding Injury Law on these web sites:

Beta Cash - Spaulding Injury Law

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5fZJr6GmCMSpaulding Injury Law

#Spaulding Injury Law #Accident and injury attorney in Cumming #Auto injury lawyers near me in Cumming #Best accident attorney Cumming GA #Best accident attorney in Cumming #Car accident injury attorney Cumming GA #Car accident injury attorney in Cumming

[spauldinginjurylaw]

Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, Theodore Spaulding, explains 5 key tips for success while dealing with a motorcycle accident case. If you have any questions, please visit https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/atlanta/motorcycle-accident-lawyer or contact us at [phone]. Read our Google reviews: https://bit.ly/SpauldingInjuryLawReviews Spaulding Injury Law 50 Hurt Plaza SE #1536 Atlanta, GA 30303 [phone] https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com .video-container {position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%;padding-top: 1px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;} .video-container iframe, .video-container object, .video-container embed {position: absolute;top: 0;LEFT: 0;width: 100%;height: 100%;}

Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming

327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67+39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming

Spaulding Injury Law - Best personal injury attorney in Cumming, GA

Learn more about Spaulding Injury Law in Cumming:

Cumming Personal Injury Lawyer - Spaulding Injury Law

Find out more relating to Spaulding Injury Law at these web sites:

Services by Spaulding Injury Law, 44 Milton Avenue, # 132, Alpharetta, Georgia, 30009, United States - Spaulding Injury Law

[stephenmccull]

Hospital Executive Charged In $1.4B Rural Hospital Billing Scheme

A Miami entrepreneur who led a rural hospital empire was charged in an indictment unsealed Monday in what federal prosecutors called a $1.4 billion fraudulent lab-billing scheme.

In the indictment, prosecutors said Jorge A. Perez, 60, and nine others exploited federal regulations that allow some rural hospitals to charge substantially higher rates for laboratory testing than other providers. The indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Florida, alleges Perez and the other defendants sought out struggling rural hospitals and then contracted with outside labs, in far-off cities and states, to process blood and urine tests for people who never set foot in the hospitals. Insurers were billed using the higher rates allowed for the rural hospitals.

Perez and the other defendants took in $400 million since 2015, according to the indictment. Many of the hospitals run or managed by Perez’s Empower companies have since failed as they ran out of money when insurers refused to pay for the suspect billing. Half of the nation’s rural hospital bankruptcies in 2019 were affiliated with his empire.

“This was allegedly a massive, multi-state scheme to use small, rural hospitals as a hub for millions of dollars in fraudulent billings of private insurers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a statement.

Don't Miss A Story

Subscribe to KHN’s free Weekly Edition newsletter.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

Sign Up

Attempts to reach Perez for comment Monday evening were unsuccessful. But last year when Perez spoke to KHN, he said he was losing sleep over the possibility he could go to jail after propping up struggling rural hospitals.

“I wanted to see if I could save these rural hospitals in America,” Perez said. “I’m that kind of person.”

Pam Green, a former night charge nurse at the now-shuttered Horton Community Hospital in Horton, Kansas (population under 1,700), said she hopes Perez and his colleagues receive long prison sentences.

“He just devastated so many people, not just in Kansas, but in Oklahoma and all the other places where he had hospitals,” said Green, 58, of nearby Muscotah, Kansas. “I went months and months without pay, without health insurance. He robbed the community.”

Green recalled that money was so tight under Perez’s management of her former hospital that the electricity was shut off at least twice and staffers had to bring in their own supplies. She said she is owed about $12,000 in back pay, as well as money for uncovered dental expenses and a workplace injury that would have been covered had employees’ insurance or workers’ compensation premiums been paid.

A KHN investigation published in August 2019 detailed the rise and fall of Perez’s rural hospitals. At the height of his operation, Perez and his Miami-based management company, EmpowerHMS, helped oversee a rural empire encompassing 18 hospitals across eight states. Perez owned or co-owned 11 of those hospitals and was CEO of the companies that provided their management and billing services.

Perez styled himself a savior of rural hospitals, swooping into small towns with promises to save their struggling facilities using his “secret sauce” of financial ventures. Multiple employees told KHN they had no idea what happened to the money their hospitals earned after Perez and his associates took control, since the facilities seemed perpetually starved for cash.

Over the past two years, amid mounting legal challenges and concerns about the lab-billing operation, insurers cut off funding and his empire crumbled. Overall, 12 of the hospitals have entered bankruptcy and eight have closed. The staggering collapse left hundreds of employees without jobs and small towns across the Midwest and South without lifesaving medical care.

Related Stories

The Collapse Of A Hospital Empire — And Towns Left In The Wreckage Aug 20

Outsiders Swoop In Vowing To Rescue Rural Hospitals Short On Hope — And Money Jun 6

The four rural hospitals named in the indictment are Campbellton-Graceville Hospital in Graceville, Florida; Regional General Hospital of Williston, Florida; Chestatee Regional Hospital in Dahlonega, Georgia; and Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville, Missouri.

The indictment marks the third major case federal prosecutors have filed alleging billing fraud at Perez-affiliated hospitals. In October, David Byrns pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud involving a Missouri hospital he managed with Perez. A Missouri Auditor General report previously found that the 15-bed hospital, Putnam County Memorial in Unionville, had received about $90 million in questionable insurance payments in less than a year.

In July 2019, Kyle Marcotte, owner of a Jacksonville Beach, Florida, addiction treatment center, pleaded guilty for his part in a $57 million lab-billing scheme involving two Perez-affiliated hospitals, Campbellton-Graceville and Regional General Hospital. Marcotte admitted cooperating with unnamed hospital managers to provide urine samples from his patients for lab testing that was billed through the rural hospitals and, in exchange, getting a cut of the proceeds.

Perez, on his own and through Empower-affiliated companies, in 2016 and 2017 purchased South Florida properties that totaled more than $3.7 million, including three condos on Key Largo, according to property records. He told KHN last year that the Florida properties were bought with earnings from unrelated software companies but declined to give details. He and his brother Ricardo Perez, if convicted, must forfeit over $46 million, according to the indictment, as well as two Key Largo condos and other properties.

Another defendant, Aaron Durall, if convicted, could lose $184.4 million and a six-bedroom, 6,500-square-foot home in the affluent Parkland district north of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Perez-affiliated hospitals also face ongoing lawsuits in Missouri and other states filed by dozens of insurers asking for hundreds of millions in restitution for allegedly fraudulent billings. In those court documents, Perez repeatedly has denied wrongdoing. He told KHN last year that his lab-billing setup was “done according to Medicare and state guidelines.”

For former employees of EmpowerHMS and members of the affected communities, the indictment represents vindication. As the company foundered, hundreds of employees worked without pay in vain efforts to keep their hospitals afloat. They would discover later that, along with the missing paychecks, their insurance premiums had not been paid and their medical policies had been discontinued. In the June 2019 interview, Perez acknowledged that, as finances withered, he stopped paying employee payroll taxes.

“It’s nice to think he might be held accountable,” said Melva Price Lilley, a former X-ray technician at Washington County Hospital in Plymouth, North Carolina, which has reopened with new owners under a new name. “At least there’s a chance that he might have to suffer some consequences. That gives me some hope.”

Lilley, 56, said she and other employees could not retrieve their retirement savings from the bankrupt hospital until about three weeks ago. She has been trying to pay off about $68,000 in medical bills from a back surgery she needed for a workplace injury that wasn’t covered by workers’ compensation insurance premiums that went unpaid for hospital employees. She remains unable to work full time.

I-70 Community Hospital, an Empower facility in Sweet Springs, Missouri, has remained closed since February 2019. Tara Brewer, head of the Sweet Springs Chamber of Commerce and the local health department, said she was almost shocked to hear that Perez had gotten indicted after months of wondering if anything would happen.

While she hopes these charges bring closure to her community, she said, the charges do little to fix the closed hospital doors for a county that has had one of the highest per capita rates of coronavirus cases in Missouri.

“What he did to us will linger on for a long time,” Brewer said.

Hospital Executive Charged In $1.4B Rural Hospital Billing Scheme published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[dinafbrownil]

Hospital Executive Charged In $1.4B Rural Hospital Billing Scheme

A Miami entrepreneur who led a rural hospital empire was charged in an indictment unsealed Monday in what federal prosecutors called a $1.4 billion fraudulent lab-billing scheme.

In the indictment, prosecutors said Jorge A. Perez, 60, and nine others exploited federal regulations that allow some rural hospitals to charge substantially higher rates for laboratory testing than other providers. The indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Florida, alleges Perez and the other defendants sought out struggling rural hospitals and then contracted with outside labs, in far-off cities and states, to process blood and urine tests for people who never set foot in the hospitals. Insurers were billed using the higher rates allowed for the rural hospitals.

Perez and the other defendants took in $400 million since 2015, according to the indictment. Many of the hospitals run or managed by Perez’s Empower companies have since failed as they ran out of money when insurers refused to pay for the suspect billing. Half of the nation’s rural hospital bankruptcies in 2019 were affiliated with his empire.

“This was allegedly a massive, multi-state scheme to use small, rural hospitals as a hub for millions of dollars in fraudulent billings of private insurers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a statement.

Don't Miss A Story

Subscribe to KHN’s free Weekly Edition newsletter.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

Sign Up

Attempts to reach Perez for comment Monday evening were unsuccessful. But last year when Perez spoke to KHN, he said he was losing sleep over the possibility he could go to jail after propping up struggling rural hospitals.

“I wanted to see if I could save these rural hospitals in America,” Perez said. “I’m that kind of person.”

Pam Green, a former night charge nurse at the now-shuttered Horton Community Hospital in Horton, Kansas (population under 1,700), said she hopes Perez and his colleagues receive long prison sentences.

“He just devastated so many people, not just in Kansas, but in Oklahoma and all the other places where he had hospitals,” said Green, 58, of nearby Muscotah, Kansas. “I went months and months without pay, without health insurance. He robbed the community.”

Green recalled that money was so tight under Perez’s management of her former hospital that the electricity was shut off at least twice and staffers had to bring in their own supplies. She said she is owed about $12,000 in back pay, as well as money for uncovered dental expenses and a workplace injury that would have been covered had employees’ insurance or workers’ compensation premiums been paid.

A KHN investigation published in August 2019 detailed the rise and fall of Perez’s rural hospitals. At the height of his operation, Perez and his Miami-based management company, EmpowerHMS, helped oversee a rural empire encompassing 18 hospitals across eight states. Perez owned or co-owned 11 of those hospitals and was CEO of the companies that provided their management and billing services.

Perez styled himself a savior of rural hospitals, swooping into small towns with promises to save their struggling facilities using his “secret sauce” of financial ventures. Multiple employees told KHN they had no idea what happened to the money their hospitals earned after Perez and his associates took control, since the facilities seemed perpetually starved for cash.

Over the past two years, amid mounting legal challenges and concerns about the lab-billing operation, insurers cut off funding and his empire crumbled. Overall, 12 of the hospitals have entered bankruptcy and eight have closed. The staggering collapse left hundreds of employees without jobs and small towns across the Midwest and South without lifesaving medical care.

Related Stories

The Collapse Of A Hospital Empire — And Towns Left In The Wreckage Aug 20

Outsiders Swoop In Vowing To Rescue Rural Hospitals Short On Hope — And Money Jun 6

The four rural hospitals named in the indictment are Campbellton-Graceville Hospital in Graceville, Florida; Regional General Hospital of Williston, Florida; Chestatee Regional Hospital in Dahlonega, Georgia; and Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville, Missouri.

The indictment marks the third major case federal prosecutors have filed alleging billing fraud at Perez-affiliated hospitals. In October, David Byrns pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud involving a Missouri hospital he managed with Perez. A Missouri Auditor General report previously found that the 15-bed hospital, Putnam County Memorial in Unionville, had received about $90 million in questionable insurance payments in less than a year.

In July 2019, Kyle Marcotte, owner of a Jacksonville Beach, Florida, addiction treatment center, pleaded guilty for his part in a $57 million lab-billing scheme involving two Perez-affiliated hospitals, Campbellton-Graceville and Regional General Hospital. Marcotte admitted cooperating with unnamed hospital managers to provide urine samples from his patients for lab testing that was billed through the rural hospitals and, in exchange, getting a cut of the proceeds.

Perez, on his own and through Empower-affiliated companies, in 2016 and 2017 purchased South Florida properties that totaled more than $3.7 million, including three condos on Key Largo, according to property records. He told KHN last year that the Florida properties were bought with earnings from unrelated software companies but declined to give details. He and his brother Ricardo Perez, if convicted, must forfeit over $46 million, according to the indictment, as well as two Key Largo condos and other properties.

Another defendant, Aaron Durall, if convicted, could lose $184.4 million and a six-bedroom, 6,500-square-foot home in the affluent Parkland district north of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Perez-affiliated hospitals also face ongoing lawsuits in Missouri and other states filed by dozens of insurers asking for hundreds of millions in restitution for allegedly fraudulent billings. In those court documents, Perez repeatedly has denied wrongdoing. He told KHN last year that his lab-billing setup was “done according to Medicare and state guidelines.”

For former employees of EmpowerHMS and members of the affected communities, the indictment represents vindication. As the company foundered, hundreds of employees worked without pay in vain efforts to keep their hospitals afloat. They would discover later that, along with the missing paychecks, their insurance premiums had not been paid and their medical policies had been discontinued. In the June 2019 interview, Perez acknowledged that, as finances withered, he stopped paying employee payroll taxes.

“It’s nice to think he might be held accountable,” said Melva Price Lilley, a former X-ray technician at Washington County Hospital in Plymouth, North Carolina, which has reopened with new owners under a new name. “At least there’s a chance that he might have to suffer some consequences. That gives me some hope.”

Lilley, 56, said she and other employees could not retrieve their retirement savings from the bankrupt hospital until about three weeks ago. She has been trying to pay off about $68,000 in medical bills from a back surgery she needed for a workplace injury that wasn’t covered by workers’ compensation insurance premiums that went unpaid for hospital employees. She remains unable to work full time.

I-70 Community Hospital, an Empower facility in Sweet Springs, Missouri, has remained closed since February 2019. Tara Brewer, head of the Sweet Springs Chamber of Commerce and the local health department, said she was almost shocked to hear that Perez had gotten indicted after months of wondering if anything would happen.

While she hopes these charges bring closure to her community, she said, the charges do little to fix the closed hospital doors for a county that has had one of the highest per capita rates of coronavirus cases in Missouri.

“What he did to us will linger on for a long time,” Brewer said.

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/hospital-executive-charged-in-1-4b-rural-hospital-billing-scheme/

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Hospital Executive Charged In $1.4B Rural Hospital Billing Scheme

A Miami entrepreneur who led a rural hospital empire was charged in an indictment unsealed Monday in what federal prosecutors called a $1.4 billion fraudulent lab-billing scheme.

In the indictment, prosecutors said Jorge A. Perez, 60, and nine others exploited federal regulations that allow some rural hospitals to charge substantially higher rates for laboratory testing than other providers. The indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Florida, alleges Perez and the other defendants sought out struggling rural hospitals and then contracted with outside labs, in far-off cities and states, to process blood and urine tests for people who never set foot in the hospitals. Insurers were billed using the higher rates allowed for the rural hospitals.

Perez and the other defendants took in $400 million since 2015, according to the indictment. Many of the hospitals run or managed by Perez’s Empower companies have since failed as they ran out of money when insurers refused to pay for the suspect billing. Half of the nation’s rural hospital bankruptcies in 2019 were affiliated with his empire.

“This was allegedly a massive, multi-state scheme to use small, rural hospitals as a hub for millions of dollars in fraudulent billings of private insurers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a statement.

Don't Miss A Story

Subscribe to KHN’s free Weekly Edition newsletter.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

Sign Up

Attempts to reach Perez for comment Monday evening were unsuccessful. But last year when Perez spoke to KHN, he said he was losing sleep over the possibility he could go to jail after propping up struggling rural hospitals.

“I wanted to see if I could save these rural hospitals in America,” Perez said. “I’m that kind of person.”

Pam Green, a former night charge nurse at the now-shuttered Horton Community Hospital in Horton, Kansas (population under 1,700), said she hopes Perez and his colleagues receive long prison sentences.

“He just devastated so many people, not just in Kansas, but in Oklahoma and all the other places where he had hospitals,” said Green, 58, of nearby Muscotah, Kansas. “I went months and months without pay, without health insurance. He robbed the community.”

Green recalled that money was so tight under Perez’s management of her former hospital that the electricity was shut off at least twice and staffers had to bring in their own supplies. She said she is owed about $12,000 in back pay, as well as money for uncovered dental expenses and a workplace injury that would have been covered had employees’ insurance or workers’ compensation premiums been paid.

A KHN investigation published in August 2019 detailed the rise and fall of Perez’s rural hospitals. At the height of his operation, Perez and his Miami-based management company, EmpowerHMS, helped oversee a rural empire encompassing 18 hospitals across eight states. Perez owned or co-owned 11 of those hospitals and was CEO of the companies that provided their management and billing services.

Perez styled himself a savior of rural hospitals, swooping into small towns with promises to save their struggling facilities using his “secret sauce” of financial ventures. Multiple employees told KHN they had no idea what happened to the money their hospitals earned after Perez and his associates took control, since the facilities seemed perpetually starved for cash.

Over the past two years, amid mounting legal challenges and concerns about the lab-billing operation, insurers cut off funding and his empire crumbled. Overall, 12 of the hospitals have entered bankruptcy and eight have closed. The staggering collapse left hundreds of employees without jobs and small towns across the Midwest and South without lifesaving medical care.

Related Stories

The Collapse Of A Hospital Empire — And Towns Left In The Wreckage Aug 20

Outsiders Swoop In Vowing To Rescue Rural Hospitals Short On Hope — And Money Jun 6

The four rural hospitals named in the indictment are Campbellton-Graceville Hospital in Graceville, Florida; Regional General Hospital of Williston, Florida; Chestatee Regional Hospital in Dahlonega, Georgia; and Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville, Missouri.

The indictment marks the third major case federal prosecutors have filed alleging billing fraud at Perez-affiliated hospitals. In October, David Byrns pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud involving a Missouri hospital he managed with Perez. A Missouri Auditor General report previously found that the 15-bed hospital, Putnam County Memorial in Unionville, had received about $90 million in questionable insurance payments in less than a year.

In July 2019, Kyle Marcotte, owner of a Jacksonville Beach, Florida, addiction treatment center pleaded guilty for his part in a $57 million lab-billing scheme involving two Perez-affiliated hospitals, Campbellton-Graceville and Regional General Hospital. Marcotte admitted cooperating with unnamed hospital managers to provide urine samples from his patients for lab testing that was billed through the rural hospitals and, in exchange, getting a cut of the proceeds.

Perez, on his own and through Empower-affiliated companies, in 2016 and 2017 purchased South Florida properties that totaled more than $3.7 million, including three condos on Key Largo, according to property records. He told KHN last year that the Florida properties were bought with earnings from unrelated software companies but declined to give details. He and his brother Ricardo Perez, if convicted, must forfeit over $46 million, according to the indictment, as well as two Key Largo condos and other properties.

Another defendant, Aaron Durall, if convicted, could lose $184.4 million and a six-bedroom, 6,500-square-foot home in the affluent Parkland district north of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Perez-affiliated hospitals also face ongoing lawsuits in Missouri and other states filed by dozens of insurers asking for hundreds of millions in restitution for allegedly fraudulent billings. In those court documents, Perez repeatedly has denied wrongdoing. He told KHN last year that his lab-billing setup was “done according to Medicare and state guidelines.”

For former employees of EmpowerHMS and members of the affected communities, the indictment represents vindication. As the company foundered, hundreds of employees worked without pay in vain efforts to keep their hospitals afloat. They would discover later that, along with the missing paychecks, their insurance premiums had not been paid and their medical policies had been discontinued. In the June 2019 interview, Perez acknowledged that, as finances withered, he stopped paying employee payroll taxes.

“It’s nice to think he might be held accountable,” said Melva Price Lilley, a former X-ray technician at Washington County Hospital in Plymouth, North Carolina, which has reopened with new owners under a new name. “At least there’s a chance that he might have to suffer some consequences. That gives me some hope.”

Lilley, 56, said she and other employees could not retrieve their retirement savings from the bankrupt hospital until about three weeks ago. She has been trying to pay off about $68,000 in medical bills from a back surgery she needed for a workplace injury that wasn’t covered by workers’ compensation insurance premiums that went unpaid for hospital employees. She remains unable to work full time.

I-70 Community Hospital, an Empower facility in Sweet Springs, Missouri, has remained closed since February 2019. Tara Brewer, head of the Sweet Springs Chamber of Commerce and the local health department, said she was almost shocked to hear that Perez had gotten indicted after months of wondering if anything would happen.

While she hopes these charges bring closure to her community, she said, the charges do little to fix the closed hospital doors for a county that has had one of the highest per capita rates of coronavirus cases in Missouri.

“What he did to us will linger on for a long time,” Brewer said.

Hospital Executive Charged In $1.4B Rural Hospital Billing Scheme published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[donnadacresny]

Dahlonega, GA – Car Accident with Injuries on GA-52

Dahlonega, GA (November 3, 2019) – Around 11 a.m. this morning, police responded to a car accident with injuries on GA-52 in Dahlonega.

Police did not comment on the exact circumstances leading up to the collision but have said that one vehicle lost control and crashed off the side of the road in an area where many accidents occur in Dahlonega every month.

According to authorities, there were multiple parties involved and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision to assist those with injuries.

One lane was closed down until the police were able to clear the scene. There were extensive delays in the area.

The investigation of the accident is ongoing at this time.

Our thoughts are with the injured victims and their families in hopes of a full recovery.

Car Accidents in Georgia 

Even in the event of single-vehicle collisions, serious injuries can impact multiple parties. Many accidents on Georgia highways end in serious injuries each day such as spinal cord injuries, broken bones, TBIs, and more. The negligent acts of drivers lead to accidents every day, putting victims in a challenging position as they fight for their rights to compensation. Victims have the ability to speak with a skilled car accident attorney in Georgia in their time of need following one of these collisions.

At Kenneth S. Nugent, PC, our experienced and dedicated attorneys have helped countless victims work toward compensation for a wide variety of aspects. We will stop at nothing to ensure that victims are treated fairly and receive reimbursement for losses like lost wages, medical bills, and more when they need it most. Please contact our accident attorneys at [phone] to find out what we can do for you.

Note: We have constructed this post using outside sources, including news bulletins and first-hand accounts from outside sources. The details concerning this accident have not been independently verified and so, if you have identified false information, please inform us immediately. We will adjust the post to reflect accurate content.

Disclaimer: At Kenneth S. Nugent, PC Attorneys at Law, we are always looking to improve the quality and safety of our state and have been saddened by the outcome of many accidents across Georgia. We hope to inform those in our community about these accidents in the hopes that they will work to avoid serious Georgia accidents in the future. These posts are not to be taken as a solicitation for business. The information within should never be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. We hope that all involved in these accidents will receive a speedy recovery. The photos depicted in these posts are not representative of the actual accident scene.

The post Dahlonega, GA – Car Accident with Injuries on GA-52 appeared first on Georgia Accident Attorney Ken Nugent - Atlanta Personal Injury Law Firm.

source https://www.attorneykennugent.com/dahlonega-ga-car-accident-with-injuries-on-ga-52/ from Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. https://attorneykennugent1.blogspot.com/2019/11/dahlonega-ga-car-accident-with-injuries.html

[spauldinginjurylawcumming]

Standard post published to Spaulding Injury Law at May 26, 2021 13:22

Our car accident lawyers in Coal Mountain, GA today. As many in the Cumming, GA community already know, the area around the intersection of GA 400 (US 19) and GA 369 is a very dangerous intersection. Today our car accident lawyers were out doing a scene inspection at that intersection as a result of a client's significant injury auto accident. Be careful out there especially when approaching this busy and therefore dangerous stretch of GA 400. Contact Us: Spaulding Injury Law 327 Dahlonega St STE 1004 Cumming, GA 30040 https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming See Our Other Web Profiles: https://about.me/spauldingcumming https://www.acompio.us/Spaulding-Injury-Law-35982702.html https://www.allbiz.com/business/spaulding-injury-law_3W-470-695-9950 See Our Previous Post: https://local.google.com/place?id=10199118911510242842use=postslpsid=4483967565736156862Spaulding Injury Law - Auto accident lawyer near me Atlanta, GA Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming 327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67+39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming Spaulding Injury Law - Find a personal injury lawyer Cumming, GAFind out more in relation to Spaulding Injury Lawat these online sites:Spaulding Injury Law - Legal - - Alpharetta - Spaulding Injury Law https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNdIoFt9hlkn3HkvDVwLT_KKrxgyVZU1--nUVxs

Our car accident lawyers in Coal Mountain, GA today.

As many in the Cumming, GA community already know, the area around the intersection of GA 400 (US 19) and GA 369 is a very dangerous intersection. Today our car accident lawyers were out doing a scene inspection at that intersection as a result of a client's significant injury auto accident. Be careful out there especially when approaching this busy and therefore dangerous stretch of GA 400.

Contact Us:

Spaulding Injury Law 327 Dahlonega St STE 1004 Cumming, GA 30040 https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming

See Our Other Web Profiles: https://about.me/spauldingcumming https://www.acompio.us/Spaulding-Injury-Law-35982702.html https://www.allbiz.com/business/spaulding-injury-law_3W-470-695-9950

See Our Previous Post: https://local.google.com/place?id=10199118911510242842&use=posts&lpsid=4483967565736156862

Spaulding Injury Law - Auto accident lawyer near me Atlanta, GA

Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming

327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67+39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming

Spaulding Injury Law - Find a personal injury lawyer Cumming, GA

Find out more in relation to Spaulding Injury Law at these online sites:

Spaulding Injury Law - Legal - - Alpharetta - Spaulding Injury Law

https://local.google.com/place?id=10199118911510242842&use=posts&lpsid=5495534625780406125

#Spaulding Injury Law #Accident and injury attorney in Cumming #Auto injury lawyers near me in Cumming #Best accident attorney Cumming GA #Best accident attorney in Cumming #Car accident injury attorney Cumming GA #Car accident injury attorney in Cumming

[spauldinginjurylawcumming]

The Dangers of Rear-End Motorcycle Accidents

Truck injury attorney Atlanta, GAOur motorcycle accident lawyers know that riding a motorcycle always comes with inherent dangers. Any type of collision can cause serious injuries to a motorcyclist since there is no metal frame, seat belts, or airbags to protect them from the impact like in a passenger vehicle. Rear-end collisions1 can be especially dangerous for individuals... Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming 327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67 39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming Spaulding Injury Law - Personal accident lawyer Cumming, GALearn more about Spaulding Injury Law in Cumming: Auto Repair Shops in Cumming, Georgia - Spaulding Injury LawFind out more with respect to Spaulding Injury Lawon these web sites: Savannah, GA, USA Startup - Spaulding Injury Law 💥 😒 💰 ☠ 🚨 💺 #websites #personalinjury #injurylaw

Our motorcycle accident lawyers know that riding a motorcycle always comes with inherent dangers. Any type of collision can cause serious injuries to a motorcyclist since there is no metal frame, seat belts, or airbags to protect them from the impact like in a passenger vehicle. Rear-end collisions1 can be especially dangerous for individuals riding motorcycles.

A rear-end accident happens when one vehicle runs into the back of another. This type of accident is considered to be relatively minor when it involves two cars or SUVs. However, for motorcyclists, this is one of the most severe types of collisions. If a car runs into the back of a motorcycle, it often lifts the back wheel of the bike off of the ground and flips the motorcyclist and the bike forward, directly onto the pavement. In high-speed collisions, this can even result in the car then running over the motorcyclist if it cannot stop in time. On the other hand, if a motorcyclist runs into the back of a car that suddenly stops, the bike may stop but the motorcyclist himself may still have forward velocity, which usually throws the biker forward. The motorcyclist may then roll over the top of the car and land on the ground in front of the car. This can result in many different points of impact and multiple injuries. If you have been involved in this type of accident, call our motorcycle accident lawyers today.

Injuries commonly suffered by motorcyclists in rear-end collisions

The following are only some examples of injuries that a motorcyclist may face in the event of a rear-end accident:

Spinal cord injury (SCI)2

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Broken bones in the face and jaw

Broken teeth

Broken, shattered, or crushed limbs

Burns from road rash

Severe lacerations and contusions

Contact a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer in Atlanta for a free consultation today

Why do you need a motorcycle accident lawyer? Motorcyclists involved in rear-end collisions often sustain devastating losses due to medical expenses, lost income and benefits, pain and suffering, and much more. If you have been injured, you need an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to help make sure you receive full compensation from any negligent parties. Call the Atlanta office of Spaulding Injury Law at 770-744-0890 to schedule your free consultation with our motorcycle accident attorneys as soon as possible.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear-end_collision

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/basics/definition/con-20023837

https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/blog/rear-end-motorcycle-accidents-often-severeSpaulding Injury Law

#Spaulding Injury Law #Accident and injury attorney in Cumming #Auto injury lawyers near me in Cumming #Best accident attorney Cumming GA #Best accident attorney in Cumming #Car accident injury attorney Cumming GA #Car accident injury attorney in Cumming

[spauldinginjurylawcumming]

Standard post published to Spaulding Injury Law at May 18, 2021 09:51

In a Car Accident in Cumming, Ga and other driver has no insurance? What do you do? In car accident cases, the ability to recover your losses is all about the amount of insurance coverage available to you. If you are in a auto accident with a driver that is uninsured you are left with the potential of receiving nothing for your losses. Read our article here:(https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/blog/other-driver-has-no-insurance) that helps you understand what to do in this situation or click the link below to watch our video that answers this question for you. In an accident in Cumming, GA, don't hesitate to give us a call: 327 Dahlonega Street STE 1004 Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] Visit Our Other Web Profiles: http://8tracks.com/Theodore-A-Spaulding https://www.a-zbusinessfinder.com/business-directory/Spaulding-Injury-Law-Cumming-Georgia-USA/32738129/ http://ablocal.com/us/cumming-ga/LX13254855-spaulding-injury-law/ See Our Previous Post: https://local.google.com/place?id=10199118911510242842use=postslpsid=6369447132582055534Learn moreTop truck accident lawyers in Atlanta, GA Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming 327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67+39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming Lawsuit lawyers Cumming, GALearn a lot more regarding to Spaulding Injury Lawon these blogs:Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipMYpUZFxeGPftaL9gHD7d3RRlYCxc3yoV5eI6Xk

In a Car Accident in Cumming, Ga and other driver has no insurance? What do you do?

In car accident cases, the ability to recover your losses is all about the amount of insurance coverage available to you. If you are in a auto accident with a driver that is uninsured you are left with the potential of receiving nothing for your losses. Read our article here:(https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/blog/other-driver-has-no-insurance) that helps you understand what to do in this situation or click the link below to watch our video that answers this question for you.

In an accident in Cumming, GA, don't hesitate to give us a call:

327 Dahlonega Street STE 1004 Cumming, GA 30040 [phone]

Visit Our Other Web Profiles: http://8tracks.com/Theodore-A-Spaulding https://www.a-zbusinessfinder.com/business-directory/Spaulding-Injury-Law-Cumming-Georgia-USA/32738129/ http://ablocal.com/us/cumming-ga/LX13254855-spaulding-injury-law/

See Our Previous Post: https://local.google.com/place?id=10199118911510242842&use=posts&lpsid=6369447132582055534

Learn more

Top truck accident lawyers in Atlanta, GA

Spaulding Injury Law - Personal injury attorney - Cumming

327 Dahlonega St STE 1004, Cumming, GA 30040 [phone] 6V67+39 Cumming, Georgia https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/cumming

Lawsuit lawyers Cumming, GA

Learn a lot more regarding to Spaulding Injury Law on these blogs:

Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers

https://local.google.com/place?id=10199118911510242842&use=posts&lpsid=4483967565736156862

#Spaulding Injury Law #Accident and injury attorney in Cumming #Auto injury lawyers near me in Cumming #Best accident attorney Cumming GA #Best accident attorney in Cumming #Car accident injury attorney Cumming GA #Car accident injury attorney in Cumming