Clinic Fined for False Claims

[Bridget Conant]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... rt_m-rpt-1

The Cleveland Clinic will pay almost 2 million dollars as a fine for submitting fraudulent Medicare claims.

The Clinic will pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that it tried to boost profits by billing Medicare for costly inpatient kyphoplasty procedures instead of less expensive outpatient services, the federal agency said.

So does this mean all their talk about the future of healthcare being delivered on an outpatient basis only apply unless they can get more money out of the government for inpatient care?

Another example of their doublespeak and obsfucation. The Clinic does what's good for THEM and their bottom line.

[Lori Allen _]

And it appears, so do our city officials!

[cameron karslake]

I wish our leaders had the balls to kick these bums to the curb. Problem is, no way they are going to give up Lakewood, that's for sure. They want it all to themselves so bad, they even made sure the hospital property cannot be used by another health care system (the "signage would be too close to the Clinic's signage)...and this is THE CITY'S PROPERTY! So, the Clinic is dictating to US what WE can do with OUR property! It's not like the Clinic bought this property or anything. It is just not their property, it's the city of Lakewood's property. And our city council and mayor are willing to give up basic rights that a property owner would have to a corporation. Incredible negotiating!

Is there anything we haven't given to the Clinic? Is all of Lakewood's property inside the hospital, that will be given to the Clinic for free, not enough? Apparently not. The list goes on and on.

[Lori Allen _]

I agree that CCF seems to be asking for a lot. However, Council, Summers and LHA allowed this to happen. Like I said before, it appears they are more concerned about what is in it for them and have just kicked the Lakewood Citizens to the curb!

[Lori Allen _]

I just found out today from a Lakewood Hospital employee that it appears that the city and CCF have been deferring our ER calls to other hospitals on purpose when the patients could be easily taken care of at Lakewood ER. According to the employee, this has been happening and is increasingly getting worse in order to make Lakewood look like it is losing more money. FWIW