Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:56NEARLY AN HOUR.
00:01:19>> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS COLIN MCDONALD, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE
00:01:22NATIONAL FRAUD ENFORCEMENT
00:01:24DIVISION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. EVERYWHERE WE LOOK, WE
00:01:28FIND FRAUD. HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS
00:01:32OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TAKEN FROM OUR POCKETS BY CRIMINALS. EVERY
00:01:36YEAR. FOR THAT REASON, PRESIDENT
00:01:39TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT VANCE, AND
00:01:41ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL BLANCHE
00:01:44HAVE RIGHTLY ACTIVATED THE DOJ
00:01:46AND OUR FRAUD FIGHTING PARTNERS
00:01:49TO COMBAT THIS FRAUD EPIDEMIC
00:01:51HEAD ON, BECAUSE NO ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RIP OFF THE UNITED
00:01:54STATES OF AMERICA AND GET AWAY
00:01:57WITH IT. I AM HONORED TO BE
00:01:59JOINED TODAY BY SOME OF OUR BEST
00:02:01FRAUD FIGHTERS, CMS
00:02:04ADMINISTRATOR DR. MEHMET OZ,
00:02:07U.S. ATTORNEY DAVID METCALF, PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL
00:02:10DAVID SUNDAY, HHS INSPECTOR
00:02:12GENERAL. MARCH BELL, EXECUTIVE
00:02:15DIRECTOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE TO ELIMINATE FRAUD. SCOTT
00:02:18BRADY AND OUR LOCAL FBI.
00:02:22HHOIGDEA AND IRS CRIMINAL
00:02:25INVESTIGATION LEADERSHIP. THIS
00:02:27TEAM OF PUBLIC SERVANTS IS COMMITTED TO LOOKING FURTHER,
00:02:30DIGGING DEEPER, WORKING NIGHT
00:02:32AND DAY TO UNMASK THE
00:02:34FRAUDSTERS, STEALING THE WEALTH OF AMERICA AND BRING THEM TO
00:02:38JUSTICE. AND THIS COMMITMENT IS
00:02:40REAPING DIVIDENDS RIGHT HERE AND
00:02:43RIGHT NOW IN PENNSYLVANIA.
00:02:45TODAY, WE ARE ANNOUNCING
00:02:47CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST 19
00:02:51DEFENDANTS FOR FRAUDULENT HOME
00:02:52HEALTH CARE SCHEMES THAT TARGETED PENNSYLVANIA'S MEDICAID
00:02:56FRAUD PROGRAM AND RESULTED IN
00:02:58OVER $4 MILLION OF FRAUD. 18 OF
00:03:00THESE DEFENDANTS WERE CHARGED IN
00:03:02THE LAST 12 DAYS AS PART OF A
00:03:07STRATEGICALLY COORDINATED LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATION BETWEEN THE FRAUD DIVISION, THE U.S.
00:03:10ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND THE PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
00:03:14OFFICE. THE CASES TODAY BUILD ON THE WORK THAT WE RECENTLY
00:03:18ANNOUNCED IN MINNESOTA, WHERE WE CHARGED 15 DEFENDANTS FOR
00:03:22SYSTEMATICALLY LOOTING, SEVEN STATE MANAGED MEDICAID PROGRAMS
00:03:25OUT OF MORE THAN $90 MILLION.
00:03:27TREATING THOSE PROGRAMS LIKE A PIGGY BANK UNTIL ONE OF THEM HAD
00:03:31TO BE SHUT DOWN ENTIRELY BECAUSE
00:03:33THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT. THE
00:03:35SHELVES WERE EMPTY. THE
00:03:37COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IS
00:03:41ONE OF THE HIGHEST SPENDERS FOR HOME CARE SERVICES IN THE
00:03:44NATION, WITH SPENDING ON HOME
00:03:45CARE SERVICES EXCEEDING
00:03:498,000,000,000 IN 2020 ALONE.
00:03:51THESE HOME CARE PROGRAMS ARE
00:03:54DESIGNED TO ALLOW AMERICA'S MOST VULNERABLE TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY
00:03:58AT THEIR OWN HOME, INSTEAD OF BEING FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR
00:04:01FAMILIES FOR A NURSING HOME. THE PROGRAM IS INNOVATIVE. IT ALLOWS
00:04:05FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO
00:04:06RECEIVE FUNDS FROM MEDICAID TO
00:04:12PROVIDE NECESSARY PHYSICAL CARE FOR A LOVED ONE, USED PROPERLY BY HONEST CITIZENS. THE PROGRAM
00:04:16ALLOWS THOSE WITH PHYSICAL AILMENTS TO BE CARED FOR BY
00:04:20THOSE THEY TRUST THE MOST, BUT
00:04:22INFILTRATED BY GREEDY AND
00:04:25DECEITFUL OPPORTUNISTS. THIS
00:04:28PROGRAM BECOMES A MONEY TREE, A
00:04:30GRAVY TRAIN FOR CRIMINAL FRAUDSTERS. THE CASES TODAY MAKE
00:04:34THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. THEY ARE
00:04:36NOT PAPERWORK, ERRORS OR GOOD
00:04:40FAITH ACCOUNTING ERRORS. THEY
00:04:42INVOLVED INVOLVE SUPPOSED HOME
00:04:44HEALTH AIDES WHO BUILD THE TAXPAYER FOR HOME CARE SERVICES,
00:04:47BUT NEVER ACTUALLY PROVIDED
00:04:49THOSE SERVICES. AND SUPPOSED MEDICAID PATIENTS WHO CONSPIRED
00:04:53WITH OTHER FRAUDSTERS TO BILL
00:04:56THE TAXPAYER FOR COMPLETELY
00:04:59UNNECESSARY HEALTH SERVICES. IN
00:05:01ONE CASE, WE CHARGED TWO HOME HEALTH AIDES AND TWO PURPORTED
00:05:05PATIENTS WITH CAUSING OVER
00:05:08400,000 IN FALSE CLAIMS TO
00:05:10MEDICAID FOR SERVICES. THE AIDES
00:05:12SUPPOSEDLY PERFORMED. WHEN GET
00:05:15THIS, THEY WERE ACTUALLY
00:05:17HOSPITALIZED, WORKING AT OTHER
00:05:19JOBS, AND EVEN IN JAIL. YES, THE
00:05:24ALLEGATIONS INCLUDE A SCHEME THAT BILLED TAXPAYERS FOR HOME
00:05:26CARE SERVICES PROVIDER, PROVIDED WHEN THE PERSON SUPPOSEDLY DOING
00:05:30THAT WORK WAS SITTING BEHIND
00:05:32BARS. THAT, OF COURSE, IS NOT
00:05:35HEALTH CARE. IT'S JUST PURE THEFT. ANOTHER INDICTMENT
00:05:39CHARGES A FATHER AND SON FOR ENGAGING IN A FRAUDULENT
00:05:43MEDICAID SCHEME. IN SHORT, ACCORDING TO THE ALLEGATIONS,
00:05:46THE FATHER DID NOT NEED THE CARE AND THE SON WASN'T GIVING IT.
00:05:50THE SON CLAIMED TO BE PROVIDING SERVICES TO HIS FATHER WHILE HE
00:05:54WAS ACTUALLY WORKING AS A DRIVER FOR A RIDESHARE AND FOOD
00:05:57DELIVERY SERVICE. AND IN FACT,
00:05:58ON ONE OCCASION, THE DEFENDANTS
00:06:03ALLEGEDLY BILLED MEDICAID FOR SERVICES THAT SUPPOSEDLY
00:06:06OCCURRED AT THE EXACT TIME THE SON WAS IN THE MIDST OF A
00:06:09TRAFFIC STOP IN WHICH HE WAS CITED FOR POSSESSION OF
00:06:13MARIJUANA. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, ON THE VERY DAY THAT THE SON
00:06:16BILLED MEDICAID FOR A FULL DAY
00:06:19OF IN-HOME CARE FOR HIS FATHER,
00:06:21THE FATHER WAS NOT HOME AT ALL.
00:06:24HE WAS IN A COURTROOM WATCHING A
00:06:26DIFFERENT RELATIVE GET SENTENCED
00:06:29FOR DEFRAUDING THIS SAME PROGRAM. THESE FRAUD SCHEMES NOT
00:06:32ONLY ROB AMERICANS OF THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY, THEY ALSO STEAL
00:06:36THE TRUST IN OUR COMMUNITIES, DESTROY THE PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE
00:06:39IN OUR PUBLIC BENEFIT SYSTEMS. AND PERHAPS WORST OF ALL, SOW
00:06:44SEEDS OF DOUBT THAT HONESTY AND
00:06:46HARD WORK IS THE RIGHT PATH.
00:06:50AFTER ALL, THAT IS WHY JUSTICE
00:06:52MATTERS. TO PUNISH THE
00:06:56WRONGDOER, RESTORE HOPE TO VICTIMS, AND TO DETER OTHERS
00:06:59FROM CHOOSING THE WRONG PATH. AND JUSTICE IS ON THE MOVE.
00:07:03EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE ANNOUNCED A NEW WEST COAST HEALTH CARE
00:07:05STRIKE FORCE TO COMBAT FRAUD IN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA AND ARIZONA.
00:07:09WE HAVE ALSO ANNOUNCED A MEDICAID STRIKE FORCE APPROVED
00:07:12BY ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
00:07:15BLANCHE, TO MOBILIZE 15 ADDITIONAL FRAUD PROSECUTORS
00:07:18NATIONWIDE TO COMBAT MEDICAID FRAUD. JUST LAST WEEK, WE
00:07:22CONVENED A HISTORIC FEDERAL STATE PARTNERSHIP EVENT IN
00:07:25COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE LEADERS FROM ACROSS SEVEN STATES
00:07:29IN THE SOUTHEAST GATHERED TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION AND
00:07:33EXPAND JOINT ANTI-FRAUD INITIATIVES. AND WE HAVE
00:07:36LAUNCHED A HISTORIC $300 MILLION
00:07:38GRANT PROGRAM TO ALLOW STATE AND LOCAL PROSECUTORS TO JOIN THE
00:07:42DOJ AND FIGHT FRAUD AND OTHER
00:07:44CRIME. I THANK ATTORNEY GENERAL
00:07:46SUNDAY FOR BEING ONE OF THE VERY
00:07:48FIRST OFFICES TO JOIN OUR GRANT
00:07:50PROGRAM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING MULTIPLE SPECIAL
00:07:54PROSECUTORS FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE IN THE NEAR
00:07:56FUTURE. AS ANOTHER STEP IN OUR
00:07:58GROWTH PLAN, WE ARE ANNOUNCING
00:08:01TODAY THAT OUR NORTHEAST HEALTH CARE STRIKE FORCE TEAM IS
00:08:05EXPANDING HERE TO PHILADELPHIA.
00:08:08THIS WILL PLACE DEDICATED FRAUD PROSECUTORS RIGHT HERE TO
00:08:11FURTHER ROOT OUT THE FRAUD IN
00:08:15PENNSYLVANIA. THIS DISTRICT HAS
00:08:17A LONG STANDING TRADITION OF NOT ONLY PROSECUTING EGREGIOUS FRAUDS LIKE THE ONES CHARGED
00:08:21TODAY, BUT ALSO A HISTORY OF
00:08:23EXCELLENT CORPORATE ENFORCEMENT,
00:08:25BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINALLY. IN
00:08:28FACT, TODAY, THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS ANNOUNCING
00:08:31CHARGES AGAINST NOT ONLY INDIVIDUALS, BUT A COMPANY, A
00:08:34HOME HEALTH AGENCY THAT
00:08:38PARTICIPATED IN THE FRAUD. WE
00:08:39ARE PROUD TO JOIN, IN
00:08:42PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. ATTORNEY METCALF, TO RAMP UP OUR
00:08:45COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO ROOT OUT
00:08:48FRAUD HERE IN PHILADELPHIA AND ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. THIS
00:08:51REMAINS THE EARLY STAGES OF THE BUILD OUT OF OUR FRAUD FIGHTING
00:08:54TEAM. WITH THE SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT VANCE, AND THE WHITE HOUSE TASK
00:08:58FORCE TO ELIMINATE FRAUD. ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL BLANCHE AND THE
00:09:02ENTIRE FRAUD FIGHTING APPARATUS. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WILL
00:09:06CONTINUE EXPANDING OUR REACH
00:09:08ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PURSUE ALL FRAUD, NO MATTER HOW LARGE, NO
00:09:11MATTER HOW SMALL, NO MATTER HOW
00:09:16HARD. AND I WILL CONCLUDE WITH THIS TO THOSE TAKING ADVANTAGE
00:09:19OF HOME HEALTH FUNDS THAT ARE SO
00:09:21CRITICAL TO ALLOWING AGING AND
00:09:26ILL AMERICANS TO LIVE AND RECEIVE CARE AT HOME, YOUR TIME
00:09:29IS UP. WE WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE FRAUD AGAINST OUR MOST
00:09:33VULNERABLE CITIZENS AND OUR MOST
00:09:36IMPORTANT HEALTH PROGRAMS, AND
00:09:38TO ANYONE ENGAGED IN HEALTH CARE
00:09:40FRAUD OF ANY KIND OF ANY SIZE,
00:09:43WE SEE YOU, AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BRING YOU
00:09:46TO JUSTICE. THE ERA OF GETTING
00:09:48RICH OFF THE BACKS OF OUR
00:09:50PROGRAMS FOR OUR SICK, ELDERLY,
00:09:53AND DISABLED IS OVER. THANK YOU
00:09:56ALL FOR BEING HERE. I'LL NOW
00:09:57TURN THE PODIUM OVER TO DR. OZ.
00:10:02THANK YOU.
00:10:05>> THANK THE PRESIDENT. THE VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY KENNEDY,
00:10:08AND MANY OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE AT THE
00:10:10WHITE HOUSE IS BEAUTIFULLY
00:10:12ORGANIZING FOR AN ALL OF
00:10:14GOVERNMENT APPROACH. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WITH USING ALL THE
00:10:18LEVER ARMS THAT THE FEDERAL
00:10:19GOVERNMENT HAS, ALLOWS US TO
00:10:23HELP AND PROTECT PEOPLE WHO ARE DEPENDENT ON MEDICARE AND
00:10:25MEDICAID, AS YOU WILL SEE DURING THESE PRESENTATIONS, CALLAN, THE
00:10:29ALL STAR TEAM YOU PUT TOGETHER, THERE'S MANY MEMBERS ON THE
00:10:32DAIS, BUT THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, THE NORTHEAST
00:10:35STRIKE FORCE, THE DEA,
00:10:39FBIHHSOIG. THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION UNITS, THE PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. ALL THESE GROUPS HAVE
00:10:43COME TOGETHER. WE NEED STATES
00:10:45INVOLVED. AND I'M SPEAKING TO THAT ISSUE AS THE PERSON WHO HAS
00:10:48TO LOOK AT ALL THE NUMBERS AS
00:10:51THE ADMINISTRATOR OF CMS. NOW, WE'RE FACING A PERSONAL CARE
00:10:55SERVICES CRISIS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE SURGE IN ENROLLMENT
00:10:58OF INDIVIDUALS IN THESE PROGRAMS IS STUNNING. SO SHOCKING. WE
00:11:01HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK OUR NUMBERS. WE DON'T THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT'S HAPPENING,
00:11:04BUT IT IS IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW
00:11:06YORK, THE NUMBER ONE JOB IN THE
00:11:09ENTIRE STATE IS PERSONAL CARE SERVICES. GUESS WHAT? IT'S GOOD
00:11:12TO BE HOME, BECAUSE IT'S TRUE IN
00:11:13PENNSYLVANIA TO 50%,
00:11:16DRAMATICALLY MORE PEOPLE SERVING IN THE PERSONAL CARE SERVICES
00:11:20SPACE. THAT'S HOME CARE. THAN
00:11:22IT IS IN RETAIL. THAT'S WHERE
00:11:24PENNSYLVANIANS ARE GOING. IT'S BECOMING A JOBS PROGRAM.
00:11:27MEDICAID FRAUD IN THE STATE IS COSTING TAXPAYERS FOR CARE THAT
00:11:31WAS NEVER DELIVERED, OR, EVEN WORSE, HARMFUL. IT'S COSTING
00:11:35PATIENTS THEIR HEALTH, THEIR TRUST IN A SYSTEM, A SYSTEM THAT WAS BUILT ON A HIGH TRUST
00:11:39ENVIRONMENT, A PLACE WE ALL THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO
00:11:41BE SAFE, BECAUSE WHO WOULD STEAL
00:11:44FROM THE POOR? AS COLIN OUTLINED, MANY PEOPLE, UNFORTUNATELY, ARE DOING JUST
00:11:47THAT, AND WE'RE COMING AFTER THEM. WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING
00:11:51TODAY IS A DIABOLICAL BREACH OF TRUST, A VIOLATION OF THE SACRED
00:11:54BOND BETWEEN PATIENT AND CAREGIVER. IT IS A CATASTROPHE
00:11:58THAT CAN ONLY BE DEALT WITH IN A WAY THAT WILL BE OUTLINED FOR
00:12:01THE REST OF THIS PRESENTATION. TODAY'S DEFENDANTS INCLUDED AN
00:12:04AIDE WHO BILLED MEDICAID FOR CARE FOR CARE CLAIM TO BE DELIVERED WHILE THEY WERE IN
00:12:08JAIL, OR WHILE THEY WERE BEING ARRESTED, OR WHILE THEY WEREN'T IN THE COUNTRY. THE LIST GOES ON
00:12:12AND ON. ONE MORE BELIEVABLE THAN THE NEXT. AND IT'S NOT JUST
00:12:16INDIVIDUALS. THERE'S A HOME CARE AGENCY, TWO OWNERS WHO ARE
00:12:18CHARGED WITH BILLING MEDICAID,
00:12:20HUNDREDS OF FABRICATED CLOCK
00:12:23INS. AGAIN, CARE THAT WAS NEVER DELIVERED AT ALL. AND WE HAVE
00:12:27EVIDENCE OF THAT CMS JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THIS MONEY REACHES THE
00:12:29PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY NEED IT. THAT'S THE GRANDMOTHER WHO DESPERATELY NEEDS THIS MONEY TO
00:12:33STAY OUT OF A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY. IT COULD BE A VET WHO
00:12:36RELIES ON THIS TO GET HELP, BECAUSE HE'S STUCK IN BED. ALL
00:12:39THESE INDIVIDUALS DESERVE OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT, NOT THE
00:12:42CRIMINALS WHO HAVE HURT THEM.
00:12:44WE'VE REVIEWED PENNSYLVANIA'S PERSONAL CARE BILLING TRENDS. I'M GOING TO GIVE THESE NUMBERS
00:12:48TO YOU SLOWLY, BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT. THIS IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DATA ON
00:12:52PENNSYLVANIA. PENNSYLVANIA RANKS FIFTH NATIONALLY IN AVERAGE
00:12:56MONTHLY PAYMENTS, BOTH PER BENEFICIARY AND PER PROVIDER.
00:12:59THAT IS WAY OUT. THERE. BE
00:13:02NUMBER FIVE IN BOTH THOSE CATEGORIES. MORE EXPENSIVE. THAT
00:13:04IS, IN 45 STATES, OVER 96% OF
00:13:08PERSONAL CARE CLAIMS. HERE ARE ILLNESS UNSPECIFIED. THAT'S HOW
00:13:12THEY'RE TITLED. SO WE CAN'T TRACK THEM. IT DOESN'T HELP IF
00:13:15THE U.S. ATTORNEY OR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CAN'T POSSIBLY FIND THE FRAUD, BECAUSE PEOPLE
00:13:19AREN'T ACTUALLY TELLING US WHAT THEY'RE REALLY DOING. WE HAVE
00:13:22TO CHANGE THAT, THAT THAT HISTORY THAT'S EVOLVED HERE INTO THE NORM. AND FINALLY,
00:13:26AVERAGE PAYMENTS PER
00:13:29BENEFICIARY, MORE THAN $50,000.
00:13:30THINK ABOUT THAT 50, 000 PER
00:13:33PERSON GETTING HOME CARE IN THIS STATE, ON AVERAGE, FAR ABOVE
00:13:35WHAT YOU'D EVER EXPECT. ALL THIS POINTS TO FRAUD. THE CASES
00:13:39LIKE THESE ARE EXACTLY WHY A WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH IS
00:13:42SO CRITICAL, AND WHY WE HAVE TO DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES OF HOW TO
00:13:46EVOLVE THIS SYSTEM. YOU'RE TO BE HEARING FROM DAN BRILLMAN IN A
00:13:49SECOND. HE RUNS MEDICAID. HE'S GOING TO TOUCH ON ANOTHER PROBLEM. THAT'S A BIG ONE IN
00:13:52PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH IS AUTISM CARE SERVICES, AND WHY THEY'RE,
00:13:56AGAIN, NOT ONLY ARE THEY OFF THE CHART IN PENNSYLVANIA, BUT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, BUT WE ARE
00:14:00ACTUALLY HERE TO HELP. WE'RE GIVING YOU A TOOLKIT THAT WILL
00:14:03ALLOW THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT'S GOOD, WHAT'S NOT,
00:14:06WHAT'S FOUL, WHAT'S FAIR. SO WE CAN IDENTIFY THE BEST USE OF
00:14:09OUR FUNDS. YESTERDAY, I WAS IN MAINE. WE'RE INVESTIGATING HOME
00:14:12SUPPORT SERVICES, JUST LIKE YOU'RE SEEING HERE FOR ADULTS
00:14:14IN THAT CASE, WHO HAVE AUTISM, MEDICAID, SPENDING. OF THE TOP
00:14:18TEN PROVIDERS, THERE IS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. IN FACT, ACROSS
00:14:22THE BOARD, IF YOU LOOK AT FRAUD IN HEALTH CARE, ALL GONE UP IN
00:14:24THE LAST SIX YEARS, WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020? THAT HAS
00:14:28>> CATALYZE THIS. WHAT HAS ALLOWED THIS CORRUPTION TO BE
00:14:30WEAPONIZED? IT'S COVID. COVID
00:14:32APPEARS TO HAVE UNLEASHED
00:14:35MASSIVE FRAUD THROUGH GRIFTERS, BECAUSE CRIMINALS KNEW THE
00:14:37FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT FOLLOW UP ON THE MONEY THAT WAS
00:14:40PENDING OUT. WE. WE TOLD THE WORLD WE WERE OPEN FOR FRAUD,
00:14:44AND THEY COULD START HARPOONING US WITH THEIR SPEARS. NO MAS NO
00:14:47MORE. WE ARE NOW MAKING IT VERY CLEAR THIS ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS FRAUD. THE
00:14:51MASSIVE INCREASES THAT HAVE GROWN, UM, TO THE KINDS OF
00:14:54NUMBERS YOU COULD NOT IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO SHOW ON A
00:14:57CLIPBOARD WITH 90% OF SERVICES
00:14:59BUILT AND PAID FOR IN MAINE IN PARTICULAR, WHERE THERE IS NO
00:15:03JUSTIFIABLE BACKUP FOR NINE OUT OF TEN SERVICES, YOU CAN'T JUSTIFY THEY SHOULD HAVE
00:15:06HAPPENED. IT'S THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU NORMALLY EXPECT. WE
00:15:09HAVE NO TOLERANCE FOR ANYONE WHO INVENTS OURS, INVENTS A
00:15:12DISABILITY, INVENTS A WORKFORCE AT THE EXPENSE OF PEOPLE WHO
00:15:15DEPEND ON THESE PROGRAMS. AND IF YOU LOVE THESE VULNERABLE
00:15:19AMERICANS, YOU SHOULD CARE AS WELL. WITH THIS ALL OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH, NO SCHEME
00:15:22IS TOO SOPHISTICATED, NO FRAUDSTERS TOO ELUSIVE. THIS ALL
00:15:25OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH INCLUDES THE STATES, WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE STATE REPRESENTATION HERE.
00:15:29AND THESE KITS, THEY WERE CRAFTED TO HELP THESE STATES.
00:15:32ALL OF THEM, COPE WITH THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE AT CMS AN
00:15:36ADDITIONAL BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS. THAT
00:15:39KILLER KIM, AS SHE'S GOTTEN TO BE KNOWN, IS GOING TO DESCRIBE. AND THIS IS GOING TO, I THINK,
00:15:43HELP DICTATE HOW WE WILL INTERVENE IF THESE NUMBERS ARE
00:15:46NOT ADDRESSED. KIM. >> GREAT.
00:15:49>> THANK YOU, DR. OZ, WHAT YOU JUST HEARD ON THE PERSONAL CARE
00:15:52FRONT IS ONLY ONE PART OF THIS FIGHT. CMS IS GOING AFTER ALL OF
00:15:55IT. I WANT TO BUILD ON THAT WITH AN UPDATE ON ONE OF THE AREAS
00:15:59WHERE WE'VE MADE THE MOST PROGRESS. HOSPICE SINCE
00:16:02PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK OFFICE,
00:16:041076 HOSPICES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. IN
00:16:08CALIFORNIA ALONE. THIS
00:16:11REPRESENTS A 47% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CALIFORNIA HOSPICES COMPARED TO THE PEAK
00:16:14DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, LOS
00:16:19ANGELES COUNTY ALONE HAD MORE
00:16:21THAN 1850 HOSPICES. SO THESE ARE HOSPICES THAT ARE NO LONGER
00:16:25UNDER REVIEW. THEY'RE NOT ON A WATCH LIST. THEY ARE GONE, THROWN OUT OF THE PROGRAM
00:16:29ENTIRELY, UNABLE TO BUILD MEDICARE, UNABLE TO TOUCH
00:16:32ANOTHER TAXPAYER DOLLAR, UNABLE
00:16:34TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER VULNERABLE BENEFICIARY. AND
00:16:37WE'RE NOT STOPPING AT CALIFORNIA. IN MAY, CMS PUT IN
00:16:41PLACE A NATIONWIDE MORATORIUM ON NEW HOSPICE AND HOME HEALTH
00:16:45ENROLLMENTS. THE BROADEST ACTION CMS HAS EVER TAKEN IN THIS SPACE. IT'S IN EFFECT THROUGH
00:16:49MID-NOVEMBER, AND WE'RE USING THAT TIME TO INVESTIGATE ALL
00:16:52EXISTING FACILITIES, DIG INTO THE DATA, AND REMOVE BAD ACTORS,
00:16:56NOT JUST PROCESS THE NEXT CLAIM THAT MATTERS HERE IN
00:16:59PENNSYLVANIA. TO, IN ITS
00:17:01RESPONSE TO DR. OZ'S REVALIDATION REQUEST LETTER IN LATE APRIL, PENNSYLVANIA STATED
00:17:05THAT IT IS USING THE FEDERAL
00:17:07MORATORIUM AS A REASON TO RENEW ITS PROGRAM INTEGRITY EFFORTS.
00:17:10THE STATE ALSO INDICATED THAT IT WOULD IMPLEMENT A MORATORIUM ON
00:17:13NEWLY ENROLLING HOSPICE
00:17:15PROVIDERS AND EVALUATE WHETHER A
00:17:17STATEWIDE OR GEOGRAPHICALLY TARGETED MORATORIUM IS NECESSARY FOR HOME HEALTH PROVIDERS. BUT
00:17:21CMS HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A MORATORIUM REQUEST FROM
00:17:24PENNSYLVANIA. SO WE ARE CHALLENGING THE STATE TODAY TO
00:17:26FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT COMMITMENT AND TAKE THE ACTION NEEDED TO PROTECT BENEFICIARIES
00:17:30AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WHETHER IT'S HOSPICE IN CALIFORNIA OR
00:17:34HOME HEALTH HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE MODEL IS THE
00:17:37SAME STOP THE BAD ACTOR BEFORE THE MONEY GOES OUT, NOT CHASE
00:17:40AFTER IT. YEARS AFTER. IN THAT
00:17:42SAME MODEL, IS EXACTLY WHY WE'RE RELEASING SOMETHING NEW TODAY.
00:17:46CMS IS PUBLISHING OUR MEDICAID SERVICE AREA HEAT MAP FOR
00:17:50APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS. ABA, A FIRST OF ITS KIND
00:17:53NATIONAL LOOK AT WHERE ABA SPENDING IS CONCENTRATED AND
00:17:56WHERE IT'S RAISING RED FLAGS. PENNSYLVANIA IS ONE OF THE
00:17:58STATES WHERE THAT DATA IS MOST CONCERNING. I'M NOW GOING TO
00:18:01TURN IT OVER TO OUR DIRECTOR FOR MEDICAID AND CHIP SERVICES, DAN BRILLMAN, TO WALK YOU THROUGH
00:18:05WHAT THE HEAT MAP MEANS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES
00:18:07HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA. OVER TO
00:18:09YOU, DAN.
00:18:14>> GOOD MORNING. AS A LEADER FOR. >> MEDICAID AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM, WHEN
00:18:17WE SEE PROBLEMS, WE COME WITH SOLUTIONS. YOU KNOW, MEDICAID IS
00:18:21A SAFETY NET PROGRAM, AND WE WANT IT TO BE THERE TO CATCH YOU
00:18:24NOW AND FOR YEARS TO COME,
00:18:27STOMPING OUT FRAUD AND CORPORATE CORRUPTION IS HOW WE ENSURE IT
00:18:30IS THERE FOR YOU. AND FRAUD IN APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS, OR
00:18:34ABA, IS NO EXCEPTION, WHICH IS WHY TODAY WE'RE ANNOUNCING AN ABA TOOLKIT TO HELP STATES DRIVE
00:18:38BEST PRACTICES AND POLICIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NOW, ABA
00:18:41THERAPY IS MEANT TO GIVE KIDS WITH AUTISM ONE ON ONE SUPPORT.
00:18:44THEY NEED TO BUILD USEFUL SKILLS, COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL
00:18:46INTERACTION, INDEPENDENCE DELIVERED THROUGH DIRECT, HANDS
00:18:49ON SUPPORT INTENDED TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND AUTONOMY.
00:18:52BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM BETWEEN
00:18:5521 AND 2025, MEDICAID SPENDING ON ABA GREW SIX TIMES FASTER
00:18:59THAN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN
00:19:01ACTUALLY RECEIVING THE SERVICE NATIONALLY, WENT FROM 2 BILLION
00:19:04TO 10 BILLION A YEAR, A 420%
00:19:06INCREASE. SOME STATES SAW 200%
00:19:09INCREASES. ONE STATE HAS OVER NOW, 45,000 ABA PROVIDERS ALONE,
00:19:13ABOUT NINE TIMES THE NUMBER OF PEDIATRICIANS IN THE STATE. THIS
00:19:16SHOULD RAISE SERIOUS CONCERNS FOR EVERYONE WE KNOW ISSUES THAT
00:19:19WE'VE SEEN ON THE NEWS, LIKE MINNESOTA, WHERE THEIR BILLING
00:19:22FOR SERVICES EXPLODED FOR
00:19:233,000,000 IN 2018 TO 400,000,000
00:19:26IN 2023, A SURGE DRIVEN BY
00:19:28ORGANIZED FRAUD RINGS PROVIDING KICKBACKS FOR PARENTS TO SIGN
00:19:31THEIR CHILDREN UP. BUT HERE IN
00:19:35PENNSYLVANIA, THE DATA TELLS A SIMILAR STORY. ABA SERVICES NOW, AS KIM JUST TALKED ABOUT,
00:19:39CARRIES A HIGH RISK SCORE,
00:19:41GROWING FROM 144 MILLION TO 587
00:19:44MILLION BETWEEN 2021 AND LAST YEAR, AND THE SECOND HIGHEST IN
00:19:48THE NATION FOR AVERAGE MONTHLY PAYMENTS PER PROVIDER. HERE, WE
00:19:52HAVE HAD ONE PROVIDER WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE DELIVERED 500
00:19:55HOURS OF ONE ON ONE ABA THERAPY
00:19:57TO TWO CHILDREN, TWO DIFFERENT
00:20:00LOCATIONS, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
00:20:03BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THESE
00:20:05FAMILIES IS AN ISSUE, AND MAYBE
00:20:08FAMILIES EVEN LIKE YOURS. THERE'S A HUMAN COST TO FRAUD
00:20:11AND INCENTIVES THAT REWARD VOLUME INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUALIZED CARE, RESULTS IN CHILDREN WHO DON'T GET THE CARE THAT THEY
00:20:15NEED, AND FAMILIES WHO PAY THE PRICE. SO TODAY, THIS IS THE
00:20:19ACTION EVERY STATE HAS BEEN ASKING US FOR HELP AT CMS. SO
00:20:22WE'RE PROVIDING IT. SO WE'RE LAUNCHING THIS ABA TOOLKIT, A
00:20:25SET OF PROACTIVE PRACTICES FOR
00:20:27MEDICAID AND CHIP PROGRAMS TO DRIVE ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE
00:20:30PROGRAM, TO DO THE RIGHT THING TO SERVE OUR CHILDREN, AND ALSO TO PROTECT GOOD PROVIDERS,
00:20:34PROVIDING GOOD CARE. THIS TOOLKIT IS GOING TO DO THREE
00:20:37THINGS. WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH
00:20:40THE STATES TO ADDRESS THEM. ONE, INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PLANS
00:20:42THAT REFLECT CHILDREN'S SEVERITY
00:20:44AND CLINICAL JUSTIFICATION, NOT
00:20:47MAXIMIZING HOURS, REGARDLESS OF THE CHILD'S NEED. NOW, TWO
00:20:51INTEGRATED THERAPY. WE SHOULD BE TREATING THE WHOLE CHILD FOCUSED
00:20:54ON INTEGRATED SPEECH. OCCUPATIONAL OUTCOME FOCUSED
00:20:58THERAPY, NOT SIMPLY MAXIMIZING
00:20:59ABA THERAPY IN ISOLATION. THIRD,
00:21:03GUARDRAILS, THINGS THAT WILL STOP CROWDING OUT THOSE WHO NEED
00:21:06IT THE MOST. TODAY, 75% OF
00:21:09PARENTS ARE REPORTING DELAYS AND WAITLISTS. A GOOD REASON FOR
00:21:12THAT 1.5 BILLION WAS SPENT LAST
00:21:16YEAR ON ABA FOR CHILDREN WHO DID
00:21:17NOT HAVE AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS.
00:21:20FOR THAT CARE, WE OWE IT TO THE FAMILIES WHO DEPEND ON THESE
00:21:24SERVICES, THE TAXPAYERS WHO FUND THEM. AND THIS TOOLKIT IS GOING
00:21:26TO BE USED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
00:21:28STATES ACROSS THE NATION TO CLOSE THESE LOOPHOLES WITHOUT
00:21:32DELAY. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO RELEASING THIS TOOLKIT TODAY TO THE PUBLIC AND HOPE EVERYONE
00:21:36ENSURES RESOURCES REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST. I'M GOING TO TURN IT
00:21:39OVER TO U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF
00:21:42PENNSYLVANIA, DAVID METCALFE.
00:21:44NOW, THANK YOU. THANK YOU
00:21:48>> WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR FEDERAL AND STATE
00:21:52PARTNERS FOR SHINING THE LIGHT ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. AND THAT IMPORTANT ISSUE IS THE
00:21:56WORST THEFT OF MONEY THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY HAS
00:21:59BEEN THE GREAT FRAUD AGAINST THE
00:22:02AMERICAN TAXPAYER, FRAUD AGAINST GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO THE SICK, FOOD TO
00:22:05THE POOR, BENEFITS TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM. WHICH IS WHY WE ARE
00:22:08SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL
00:22:12FRAUD ENFORCEMENT DIVISION AND COLIN MCDONALD, AND ALSO BUILD
00:22:14ON OUR ALLIANCE WITH PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL DAVE SUNDAY. THANK YOU FOR BEING
00:22:18HERE, AS WELL AS PARTNERING WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
00:22:22FBI, HHS, IG, AND OTHERS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT IN THIS SPACE.
00:22:26WE WANT TO ATTACK FRAUD IN ALL OF ITS FORMS. AS DR. OZ, KIM AND
00:22:29DAN JUST TOLD YOU, MEDICAID
00:22:32FRAUD IN PARTICULAR HAS MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF FRAUD. BUT WE
00:22:35WANT TO TACKLE FRAUD FROM
00:22:37BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATE MALFEASANCE FROM A FORTUNE 500
00:22:40COMPANY TO A SMALLER DOLLAR FRAUD. OF THE CASES THAT YOU'RE
00:22:43GOING TO HEAR ABOUT TODAY, AND THE CASES THAT WE WANT TO
00:22:46HIGHLIGHT TODAY EXEMPLIFY A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM. AND IT'S A
00:22:49PROBLEM THAT HAS PLAGUED OUR REGION AND OUR COMMUNITY FOR
00:22:52MANY YEARS. AND THAT IS THE EPIDEMIC OF HOME CARE FRAUD IN
00:22:56THIS COMMUNITY. AND FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T AWARE OF HOW THESE SCHEMES WORK, I'LL GIVE YOU A
00:23:00BRIEF OVERVIEW. MEDICAID, ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE, THE
00:23:03DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR PENNSYLVANIA, ALLOWS A SPECIFIC
00:23:07PROGRAM WHEREBY PATIENTS CAN HAVE PERSONAL CARE SERVICES IN
00:23:10THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME AND GET MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS. BUT
00:23:14IN PRACTICE, IT HAS PROVEN
00:23:16DIFFICULT TO VERIFY THAT THOSE
00:23:18SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY BEING
00:23:21PROVIDED, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, ANYONE CAN BE A CAREGIVER. YOU
00:23:25CAN BE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND, NO MEDICAL
00:23:28TRAINING OR BACKGROUND AT ALL. AND YOU CAN BE A CAREGIVER AND
00:23:31THE BENEFICIARY OR THE CLIENT CAN SELECT WHOEVER THEY WISH TO
00:23:34BE THEIR AID. AND SO THEREFORE, TWO PEOPLE CAN EASILY COLLUDE TO
00:23:38SCHEME THIS SYSTEM. AND ONCE IN THE SYSTEM. AND THIS IS THE
00:23:42IMPORTANT PART, IT'S TOUGH TO VERIFY THAT THE SERVICES ARE
00:23:44ACTUALLY BEING RENDERED BECAUSE
00:23:46THE CAREGIVER OR THE CLIENT
00:23:49BEHIND CLOSED DOORS SIMPLY CAN
00:23:51TAP A BUTTON ON THEIR SMARTPHONE APP OR CALL IN. AND THAT RECORD
00:23:54DOESN'T ACTUALLY ESTABLISH THAT
00:23:56THE PERSON WAS ACTUALLY THERE, OR PROVIDING HEALTH CARE
00:24:00SERVICES. AND THE RESULT IS WHAT YOU SEE ON THAT CHART OVER THERE, WHICH IS SINCE THE
00:24:03PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES ESTABLISHED THIS
00:24:06PROGRAM IN 2018, $120 MILLION
00:24:09BILLED IN PENNSYLVANIA HOME CARE
00:24:12SERVICES IN 2019, 2020. 2
00:24:15BILLION 2025 8 BILLION. THIS IS NOT THE REFLECTION OF SUPPLY AND
00:24:19DEMAND. IT IS A REFLECTION OF
00:24:21THE SYSTEMATIC EXPLOITATION OF A VULNERABLE PROGRAM BY FRAUDSTERS
00:24:25AND, AS WE ALLEGE, SOMETIMES DRUG DEALERS. I WANT TO TELL YOU
00:24:28ABOUT THESE CASES WITH TWO QUALIFICATIONS. FIRST, ALL THE
00:24:32CREDIT GOES TO THE PROSECUTORS AND AGENTS. IT WAS THEIR HARD
00:24:35WORK, THEIR BRAINS, THEIR SWEAT TO BUILD THESE CASES. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. AND NUMBER
00:24:39TWO, AS SHOCKING AS THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE AT THIS STAGE,
00:24:41THEY ARE INDEED ONLY
00:24:44ALLEGATIONS. EVERY DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN
00:24:47GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW. BUT
00:24:49THEY ARE SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS ACROSS THESE CASES. WE HAVE HOME
00:24:53CARE SERVICES BILLED THAT WERE NOT RENDERED BY AIDES THAT WERE
00:24:57DEAD, THAT WERE IN PRISON, THAT WERE SELLING DRUGS. AIDES WHO
00:25:01BILLED OVER 24 HOURS A DAY,
00:25:05REPEATEDLY FOR A YEAR, AIDES WHO BILLED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD IN SAUDI ARABIA, AIDES WHO WERE
00:25:08BILLING WHILE JETSETTING ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN AND EUROPE. AND I
00:25:12WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO CASES. OUR
00:25:14OFFICE CHARGED TODAY. FIRST, TWO
00:25:16DEFENDANTS, SEAN MURRAY AND
00:25:18CHARLES BOWIE. IN RELATED CASES, SEAN MURRAY HAS ALREADY BEEN
00:25:22SEPARATELY INDICTED BY OUR OFFICE AS A FEDERAL NARCOTICS
00:25:25TRAFFICKER. HE IS IN THE PRISON BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW AS A FEDERAL DRUG TRAFFICKER. AND WE ALLEGE
00:25:29THAT IN ADDITION TO SELLING
00:25:31COCAINE, HE WAS RIPPING OFF
00:25:34MEDICAID BY FRAUDULENT HOME CARE SERVICES THAT WERE NOT ACTUALLY
00:25:38RENDERED. INSTEAD, HE WAS AT THE
00:25:39GYM, HE WAS AT THE MASSAGE
00:25:42PARLOR. HE WAS ON A CRUISE. AND AT WORST, HE WAS PACKAGING
00:25:46NARCOTICS TO RUN HIS DRUG
00:25:48TRAFFICKING OPERATION IN A JAIL CALL THAT WAS RECORDED IN AUGUST
00:25:522024. SEAN MURRAY BOASTED ABOUT
00:25:54HOW EASY OF A RACKET IT WAS. HE
00:25:57SAID, THIS HOME HEALTH CARE IS
00:25:59THE BEST KEPT SECRET. THIS SCHEME ALSO ILLUSTRATES,
00:26:02UNFORTUNATELY, THAT TOO OFTEN THE CLIENTS AND THE
00:26:06BENEFICIARIES ARE IN ON THIS SCHEME. IN THIS CASE, WE ALLEGE
00:26:09THAT MURRAY PAID KICKBACK TO HIS CLIENTS TO GO ALONG WITH THE
00:26:13SCHEME. WE ALLEGE $400,000 IN
00:26:15TOTAL BILLINGS. THE LAST CASE I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT INVOLVES
00:26:19A COMPANY CALLED BENEVOLENT BENEVOLENT HOME HEALTH AND ITS
00:26:22TWO FOUNDERS, KHALILAH WILLIAMS
00:26:24AND SELIMA DAVIS, BOTH FROM PHILADELPHIA. AND WE ALLEGE THAT
00:26:28THIS CASE ACTUALLY ORIGINATED FROM A DEA INVESTIGATION IN THE
00:26:32DRUG TRAFFICKING ACTIVITIES OF
00:26:34MISS WILLIAMS'S HUSBAND. WHEN DEA AGENTS RAIDED HIS HOUSE
00:26:38WHILE HE WAS BEING ARRESTED, HE
00:26:40SAID, HOLD ON, I NEED TO CLOCK
00:26:44OUT OF MY SHIFT. AND WHEN THE AGENTS ASKED WHAT HE MEANT BY
00:26:46THAT, HE SAID, EVERYBODY IS DOING THIS. IF THAT'S A PROBLEM,
00:26:50YOU'D HAVE TO ARREST THE WHOLE
00:26:52CITY. THAT IS SHOCKING, AND IT ILLUSTRATES THE EXTENT OF THE
00:26:55PROBLEM THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE. EVERYBODY IS DOING THIS.
00:26:59IT GETS WORSE. AFTER. WILL, MISS WILLIAMS HUSBAND WAS SENT TO
00:27:03PRISON. THE BILLING FOR HIS HOME
00:27:07CARE SERVICES CONTINUED. WHILE THIS MAN WAS IN THE PRISON
00:27:10BEHIND ME. THE COMPANY, MISS
00:27:14WILLIAMS, BUILT HIM FOR HOME CARE SERVICES FOR HOME CARE
00:27:17SERVICES, A FEDERALLY CHARGED NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER LITERALLY SITTING BEHIND BARS IN THE
00:27:21FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER, WAS
00:27:22STILL BEING BILLED FOR HOME CARE
00:27:25SERVICES. THIS WAS AFTER, MIND YOU, THAT MISS WILLIAMS AND MISS
00:27:28DAVIS WERE BILLING SERVICES
00:27:33WHILE HE WAS ACTUALLY CONDUCTING HIS NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING
00:27:35OPERATION, PACKAGING, SELLING,
00:27:38DISTRIBUTING DRUGS, AND IT GETS
00:27:41WORSE, MISS WILLIAMS AND MISS
00:27:43DAVIS ALSO BILLED FOR AN AIDE THAT WAS DEAD 600 CLOCK INS IN A
00:27:47YEAR, TO THE TUNE OF A TOTAL OF
00:27:51$225,000 IN MEDICAID BILLINGS. IN SHORT, WE ARE BEING RIPPED
00:27:54OFF THESE CASES, AND THESE DEFENDANTS MAKE A MOCKERY OF
00:27:57YOUR TAX DOLLARS. BUT IT ENDS
00:27:59TODAY. IF EVERYBODY IS DOING IT. IT TAKES EVERYONE TO STOP IT.
00:28:03WHICH IS WHY I'M SO PLEASED TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY FROM
00:28:06OUR FEDERAL AND STATE PARTNERS, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO TAKE
00:28:09THE TOTAL FORCE OF THE UNITED
00:28:10STATES GOVERNMENT AND OUR STATE PARTNERS TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING SO.
00:28:14THANK YOU.
00:28:22>> GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU, ATTORNEY METCALF. IT'S BEEN AN
00:28:26ABSOLUTE PLEASURE GETTING TO KNOW YOU, AND AN HONOR TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND YOUR
00:28:30OFFICE. WE'VE SEEN GREAT
00:28:32PROGRESS HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA IN
00:28:35BUILDING MEDICAID RELATED CRIMINAL CASES AND RESULTING
00:28:39PROSECUTIONS OF THOSE WHO HAVE DEFRAUDED AND STEAL FROM THE SYSTEM, AND THOSE WHO NEGLECT
00:28:42AND ABUSE PATIENTS THAT ARE
00:28:44DEPENDENT ON THAT CARE. AND
00:28:47BEFORE I GO INTO THE DETAILS ABOUT SOME OF THESE CASES, I
00:28:50WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE OF TWO
00:28:51THINGS. NUMBER ONE, THESE CASES
00:28:55AREN'T JUST FINANCIAL CRIMES. THESE ARE CASES THAT DIRECTLY
00:29:00IMPACT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE NEGLECT
00:29:04CASES WHERE CARE SHOULD BE GIVEN AND PEOPLE ARE BEING PAID TO
00:29:07PROVIDE CARE. AND THEN THE CARE IS NOT GIVEN. AND WE ACTUALLY
00:29:10HAVE HAD CASES NOT TO IN THE NOT
00:29:13TOO DISTANT PAST, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE DIED AS A RESULT OF NOT
00:29:16RECEIVING THOSE MEDICATIONS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU
00:29:19KNOW, OFTENTIMES AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND AS LEADERS, WE GET
00:29:23TO STAND HERE AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU. BUT I
00:29:26WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
00:29:29IDENTIFY AND THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE HARD
00:29:33WORKING AGENTS AND ALL THE HARD
00:29:35WORKING PROSECUTORS THAT WORK RELENTLESSLY ON THESE
00:29:39UNBELIEVABLY CHALLENGING, CHALLENGING, AND COMPLEX CASES. AND SO FOR ALL OF THEM, THEY
00:29:42CAN'T STAND UP HERE TODAY. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE APPRECIATED AND THEY ARE
00:29:46RESPECTED. AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR HARD WORK. SO LAST
00:29:49YEAR, PENNSYLVANIA LED THE NATION IN MEDICAID FRAUD
00:29:53CONVICTIONS. AND THE YEAR PRIOR TO THAT, WE LED THE NATION IN
00:29:57THE NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS CHARGED
00:29:59WITH MEDICAID FRAUD. A LOT OF THAT WORK HAPPENS RIGHT HERE IN
00:30:02PHILADELPHIA. THE COMMONWEALTH'S LARGEST
00:30:05METROPOLITAN AREA. BUT NO GREAT
00:30:09PROGRESS EVER HAPPENS IN A SILO. THE PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAID FRAUD
00:30:12CONTROL UNIT, HOUSED IN MY
00:30:13OFFICE, RECEIVES 75% OF ITS
00:30:17FUNDING FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
00:30:21SERVICES. ABOUT 13.5 MILLION FOR
00:30:23THIS CURRENT FEDERAL FISCAL
00:30:25YEAR. AND FOR THAT, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY BEYOND GRATEFUL,
00:30:29BECAUSE IF IT WAS NOT FOR THAT
00:30:31ASSISTANCE, THE MEDICAID FRAUD CONTROL SECTION HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA WOULD NOT BE DOING
00:30:35THE AMAZING THINGS THAT IT IS
00:30:37DOING. AND AGAIN, WE ARE BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR THAT SUPPORT. THESE
00:30:41CASES INVOLVE METICULOUS
00:30:45INVESTIGATION, REQUIRING A LOT OF RESOURCES, PERSONNEL, AND A
00:30:48TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK HOURS AND COLLABORATION WITH OUR
00:30:52FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL
00:30:54PARTNERS. LITERALLY NONE OF THIS
00:30:56COULD GET DONE WITHOUT TEAMWORK, WITHOUT WORKING TOGETHER AND
00:31:00COLLABORATING. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE
00:31:03TODAY. THE ARRAY OF CONDUCT AND
00:31:06BAD ACTORS IS WIDE RANGING. SOME
00:31:08OF THIS CONDUCT INVOLVES VERY SOPHISTICATED SCHEMES AND
00:31:12PLANNING, AND THERE ARE OTHER
00:31:15CASES WHERE WE HAVE THE SAME CLEAR PATTERNS OF THEFT AND
00:31:18FRAUD. BUT THOSE SCHEMES ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS EXPERTLY
00:31:22DISGUISED. ALL THE CASES INVOLVE
00:31:24INTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS AND INVESTIGATIVE WORK TO BUILD
00:31:28CRIMINAL CASES STRONG ENOUGH TO REACH CONVICTIONS. IT IS, I WANT
00:31:30TO SAY THAT AGAIN, TO REACH
00:31:32CONVICTIONS, BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL THAT WE REACH
00:31:36CONVICTIONS IN THESE CASES,
00:31:38BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE IS
00:31:41THROUGH CONVICTING THEM OF THESE, OF THESE CHARGES THAT
00:31:45HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST THEM,
00:31:48SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY WILL
00:31:51MAKE FAR LESS MONEY GOING INTO
00:31:52THIS THAN THEY THINK, AND THAT THEY WILL DEFINITELY BE
00:31:56CONVICTED AND GO TO JAIL. SO THERE IS A GREAT COMMITMENT AND PASSION REQUIRED FROM THE FROM
00:31:59THE AGENTS, THE ATTORNEYS, AND THE SUPPORT STAFF WORKING ON THESE CASES. LAST YEAR IN
00:32:03PENNSYLVANIA, WE HAD CONVICTIONS
00:32:07AGAINST 115 DEFENDANTS. THOSE
00:32:09CONVICTIONS INVOLVE THE RECOVERY
00:32:14OF ABOUT $41 MILLION THAT WAS STOLEN FROM THE STATE MEDICAID
00:32:17PROGRAM. THAT IS $41 MILLION
00:32:20THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE.
00:32:23UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS AND
00:32:25FAMILIES THAT RELY ON THAT HELP. LAST YEAR, IT JUST IT JUST SO
00:32:29HAPPENS THAT WE FILED CHARGES
00:32:32AGAINST 115 DEFENDANTS. THE PARTNERS BEFORE ME HAVE ARTICULATED THIS VERY, VERY
00:32:35WELL. BUT LET ME REINFORCE THE
00:32:37MESSAGE. MEDICAID FRAUD IS
00:32:39DEEPLY IMPACTFUL. CONDUCT. THIS
00:32:42IS NOT ABOUT SOMEONE MERELY
00:32:44WORKING THE SYSTEM. EVERY DOLLAR
00:32:46STOLEN FROM THESE PROGRAMS CAUSES DIRECT HARM TO SOMEONE
00:32:50WHO NEEDS CARE AND CANNOT AFFORD
00:32:52IT. AND WE HAVE SEEN MANY
00:32:54DOLLARS STOLEN THROUGH THIS PIPELINE AGAIN IN THE
00:32:58PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. WE DON'T LOOK AT THESE
00:33:01CASES AS JUST BEING FINANCIAL
00:33:04CRIMES. WE VIEW THESE CASES AND
00:33:06INVESTIGATIONS AS A PUBLIC
00:33:08SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU HAVE
00:33:12MILLIONS OF DOLLARS STOLEN FROM
00:33:14THE PIPELINE, THE IMPACT IS
00:33:17MASSIVE. TAKE THE ASHLEY GRIFFIN CASE AS A PRIME EXAMPLE. OUR
00:33:21OFFICE JUST CHARGED ASHLEY GRIFFIN, A PERSONAL CARE
00:33:24ATTENDANT, FOR 13 DIFFERENT
00:33:26AGENCIES IN PHILADELPHIA, AND THE COLLAR COUNTIES. I HAVE TO
00:33:30TELL YOU, ASHLEY IS QUITE THE
00:33:33MAGICIAN. OUR INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED AN ALLEGED THREE AND
00:33:37A HALF YEAR SCOPE OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT IN THOSE THREE AND A
00:33:40HALF YEARS. LET ME TELL YOU, ASHLEY GRIFFIN HAD SOME
00:33:43EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE DAYS.
00:33:46ACCORDING TO HER REIMBURSEMENT SUBMISSIONS, ASHLEY WORKED MORE
00:33:50THAN 24 HOURS IN A SINGLE DAY,
00:33:55MORE THAN A THOUSAND TIMES. I SAY THAT AGAIN. SHE WORKED MORE
00:33:58THAN 24 HOURS IN A SINGLE DAY,
00:34:00MORE THAN A THOUSAND TIMES, AND
00:34:02FOR ONE DAY, SHE SUBMITTED 126
00:34:06HOURS OF WORK, IN ALL. WE
00:34:09COUNTED, COMPILED, AND COMPARED, AND FOUND THAT ASHLEY SUBMITTED
00:34:12MORE THAN 64,000 HOURS OF WORK
00:34:17FOR SERVICES THAT SHE ABSOLUTELY
00:34:18COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY DONE.
00:34:21THOSE FRAUDULENT ENTRIES LED TO
00:34:22MEDICAID PAYMENTS OF MORE THAN
00:34:26$1.2 MILLION. WE ALLEGE THAT
00:34:28SHERRILL JOHNSON ENGAGED IN A SIMILARLY BLATANT DEFRAUDING OF
00:34:32THE SYSTEM. SHE SUBMITTED MORE
00:34:36THAN 24 SINGLE DAY HOURS OF REIMBURSEMENTS ON NEARLY 400
00:34:40SEPARATE DAYS. AGAIN, THESE
00:34:42MIGHT BE HALF COMICAL IF THEY WEREN'T UNBELIEVABLY SERIOUS
00:34:46CRIMINAL ACTS, CAUSING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HARM. I
00:34:50EMPHASIZE, AS ALWAYS, THAT THESE
00:34:51ARE ALLEGED ACTS, AND THE CHARGE
00:34:54DEFENDANTS WILL HAVE THEIR DAY
00:34:56IN COURT. PAMELA GREER OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD, SHE ALLEGEDLY
00:35:00SUBMITTED MORE THAN 1300 WORK
00:35:02HOURS REGARDING HOME CARE FOR A
00:35:05RECIPIENT THAT WE DETERMINED WAS
00:35:08INCARCERATED ON DRUG CHARGES AT
00:35:10THE TIME. SO THIS INDIVIDUAL
00:35:13THAT SHE SAID SHE WAS DOING CARE FOR WAS INCARCERATED IN PRISON
00:35:16ON DRUG CHARGES DURING THE
00:35:18ENTIRETY OF THAT SITUATION. AND
00:35:21THEN THERE WAS THE COMFORT ZONE,
00:35:23HOME HEALTH CARE CASE. WE'RE IN
00:35:26THE FINAL STAGES OF PROSECUTING NEARLY TWO DOZEN DEFENDANTS FROM
00:35:30THAT MONTGOMERY COUNTY BASED
00:35:32CASE, FROM THE OWNER OF COMFORT
00:35:34ZONE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE CHAIN.
00:35:37MORE THAN $1.76 MILLION IN
00:35:41MEDICAID FRAUD WAS UNCOVERED. LEON MONTGOMERY, THE OWNER'S
00:35:44SON, RECENTLY PLEADED GUILTY. WE
00:35:49LOOKED AT $270,000 IN MEDICAID
00:35:52SUBMISSIONS FROM MONTGOMERY, AND
00:35:54WE DETERMINED THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY IN SAUDI ARABIA WHEN
00:35:58MUCH OF THAT WORK ALLEGEDLY TOOK
00:36:01PLACE. AGAIN, THESE CASES ARE
00:36:03NOT EASY TO ASSEMBLE, CHARGE,
00:36:07AND PROSECUTE. THEY TAKE TIME AND COMMITMENT. WE IN
00:36:11PENNSYLVANIA HAVE THAT COMMITMENT. WE HAVE THE TEAM WHO
00:36:13WANTS TO DO THE WORK, AND WE ARE
00:36:16BLESSED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WHICH IS THE
00:36:20FUEL THAT KEEPS THIS MACHINE
00:36:23RUNNING TO MY FEDERAL PARTNERS. I SAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. I KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL
00:36:27JUST GETTING STARTED, AND I
00:36:29WOULD LASTLY, LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE AGAIN, THAT MAY BE
00:36:33WATCHING THIS, THAT THIS IS MORE THAN A FINANCIAL CRIME. THIS IS
00:36:36A VERY DANGEROUS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
00:36:40SHOULD BE RECEIVING HELP ARE NOT RECEIVING IT BECAUSE OF THIS.
00:36:43THANK YOU. MR..
00:36:52>> THANK YOU, ATTORNEY GENERAL,
00:36:55FOR THOSE THOUGHTFUL WORDS. UH, I WANT TO DO TWO THINGS. I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE WHERE
00:36:59THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE
00:37:01FITS INTO THIS. A VERY IMPORTANT TEAM EFFORT, AND THEN STEP BACK
00:37:05A LITTLE BIT. YOU'VE HEARD A LOT
00:37:08OF VERY GRANULAR, UH, HIGHLY ACCURATE DETAILS ABOUT HOW THIS
00:37:12WORK IS DONE. BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
00:37:14SECRETARY KENNEDY AND DR. OZ FOR
00:37:16A COUPLE OF SENTENCES. THESE ARE
00:37:20TWO GENTLEMEN WHO HAVE DECIDED
00:37:21TO SPEND THEIR LIVES IMPROVING
00:37:24AMERICAN HEALTH CARE. UH, THAT'S WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT.
00:37:28THAT'S THEIR HEART. I THINK DR.
00:37:30OZ PROBABLY SPENT TEN YEARS
00:37:32LEARNING TO TRANSPLANT HEARTS AND THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT
00:37:35WORK. THAT WORK CONTINUES TO GO ON. WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE
00:37:39HEALTH CARE, ACCESS TO HEALTH
00:37:41CARE, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW
00:37:43INVENTIONS. BUT THIS FRAUD HAS BEEN AN INTERRUPTION TO THAT
00:37:47EFFORT. SO DR. OZ AND THE SECRETARY NOW HAVE TWO JOBS.
00:37:51IMPROVE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE FOR
00:37:53EVERYONE AND FIGHT FRAUD. SO WE
00:37:55WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THAT WORK
00:37:58IS AT CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS. AND
00:38:01VERY IMPORTANT. NOW, INSPECTOR
00:38:04GENERAL'S OFFICE IS A LITTLE KNOWN TO MOST PEOPLE, AND, UH,
00:38:07I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A FEW FUN
00:38:09FACTS. IF I COULD. WE HAVE ABOUT
00:38:121450 EMPLOYEES, 100 OF THOSE
00:38:16EMPLOYEES DO DATA ANALYTICS, 6
00:38:18MILLION TRANSACTIONS A DAY, GO THROUGH HEALTH AND HUMAN
00:38:22SERVICES. SOMEBODY HAS TO LOOK
00:38:25AT THOSE AND WRITE PROGRAMS USING, UH, TYPES OF AI THAT I
00:38:28DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT. UH,
00:38:31AND FIND OUT WHERE THE ANOMALIES
00:38:34ARE. SO WHEN SOMEBODY'S BILLING FOR MORE HOURS THAN ARE
00:38:37POSSIBLE, THAT MIGHT FIRST APPEAR IN A DATA BASE AT THE
00:38:40STATE LEVEL OR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THEY CATCH THAT, THEY
00:38:43MOVE IT OVER TO THE INVESTIGATORS, OF WHICH WE HAVE
00:38:47OVER 400. THEY START A CASE.
00:38:50THEY INCLUDE THE FBI, UH, IRS,
00:38:53HOMELAND SECURITY, AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS, AND INVESTIGATE THE
00:38:57CASE. WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE THAT
00:39:00DO AUDITS OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE FIGURED OUT IN ADVANCE THAT
00:39:03SOMETHING WAS AMISS. AND A LOT
00:39:05OF THE AUTISM PROGRAMS IN MANY STATES, THAT COMES BACK, AND
00:39:08AGAIN, IT GOES TO THE INVESTIGATORS. DATA ANALYTICS
00:39:12GOES TO WORK, AND YOU FIND OUT THAT THERE COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE
00:39:15THAT MANY CHILDREN IN THESE AUTISM PROGRAMS. AS YOU MAY
00:39:19REMEMBER, UH, IN ONE STATE, MINNESOTA, THEY HAD $1 MILLION
00:39:23SPENT ON AUTISM SERVICES FOR
00:39:25CHILDREN. AND FIVE YEARS LATER,
00:39:28THEY WERE SPENDING 343 MILLION, A STATISTIC THAT WE DON'T GET
00:39:31TIRED OF REPEATING. SO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL HAS THE
00:39:35ABILITY TO SEND OUT SUBPOENAS,
00:39:38DO DATA ANALYTICS, DO OLD FASHIONED SHOE LEATHER WORK,
00:39:41UNDERCOVER WORK, ANYTHING THAT OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS DO.
00:39:43SO I, TOO, WANT TO THANK THE LAW
00:39:46ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE.
00:39:48THE LONG NIGHTS OR DAYS ALONE
00:39:51WITH THE COMPUTER SCREEN, LOOKING AT A SPREADSHEET, LOOKING AT TIMESHEETS, LOOKING
00:39:55AT RECORDS, WRITING SUBPOENAS, DOING SEARCH WARRANTS, DOING
00:39:59SHOE LEATHER WORK. THEY ARE ONE
00:40:01OF THE REAL HEROES OF TODAY. NOW, ON THE ATMOSPHERIC SIDE,
00:40:05YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF DETAILS, BUT LET'S STEP BACK FOR JUST A MINUTE AND THINK FOR A MINUTE
00:40:09ABOUT WHERE WE ARE. THIS IS,
00:40:13AFTER ALL, PHILADELPHIA, A FEW
00:40:15BLOCKS FROM HERE, ONE OF THE
00:40:18GREAT DOCUMENTS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION WAS WRITTEN 250
00:40:21YEARS AGO. IT IS THE THEME THAT WE ALL REMEMBER WHEN WE CARE
00:40:25ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR GOVERNMENT,
00:40:28LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PURSUIT OF
00:40:31HAPPINESS. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER
00:40:33IMPORTANT VALUE THAT CAME FROM
00:40:35ANOTHER ORGANIZATION. 170 YEARS AGO, THE CHOP, FOUNDED BY A
00:40:39DOCTOR, ANGLICAN PARISHIONER,
00:40:41WHO SAID, I DON'T LIKE WHAT'S
00:40:43GOING ON WITH MY NEIGHBORS. THE MORTALITY RATE IS TOO HIGH. SO
00:40:47HE STARTS A HOSPITAL. NOW, THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE HOSPITALS IN
00:40:49OUR REGION. MERCY MEDICAL, THE
00:40:54NAME OF THAT HOSPITAL, CEDARS-SINAI. AND DON'T EVER
00:40:58FORGET THAT A GROUP OF NUNS SITTING OVER A WOODEN TABLE AND
00:41:01A BOWL OF SOUP CAME UP WITH THE
00:41:03IDEA FOR THE MAYO CLINIC. SO
00:41:07THESE ARE CORE VALUES THAT COME
00:41:09FROM THE IDEA OF TREATING YOUR NEIGHBOR THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE
00:41:13TO BE TREATED. SO THESE TWO
00:41:15VALUES, DECLARATION OF
00:41:18INDEPENDENCE AND TREATING NEIGHBORS WITH LOVE MEANS THAT
00:41:20THE INFIRM, THE ELDERLY, THE
00:41:23DISABLED, WIDOWS AND ORPHANS ARE
00:41:26CARED FOR. THE LEAST OF THESE
00:41:28ARE NOT LEFT OUT. CONSIDER WITH
00:41:33ME, JUST FOR A SECOND. WHAT IT
00:41:37MEANS THAT THAT'S UNDER ATTACK
00:41:43WHO STEALS FROM THESE PEOPLE?
00:41:45WHAT KIND OF PERSON STEALS FROM
00:41:48THESE PEOPLE? NOT THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THE VALUES OF THE
00:41:52DECLARATION, OR ABOUT CARING FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS. THEY CARE ONLY
00:41:56ABOUT THEMSELVES, AND THEY DON'T CARE. AS THE ATTORNEY
00:41:58GENERAL, VERY ARTICULATELY SAID,
00:42:01THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE POOR, THE
00:42:05INFIRM, OR THE DISABLED, OR THE CHILDREN, OR THE WIDOWS AND THE ORPHANS. BUT I KNOW THE PEOPLE
00:42:09IN THIS ROOM DO, AND I KNOW
00:42:11THAT'S THEIR VALUES. I JUST
00:42:14WANT TO THANK THE REST OF THE
00:42:16PARTNERS HERE. IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO SPEAK. NEARLY LAST
00:42:20WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THE DETAILS,
00:42:22BUT THIS IS A CIVILIZATIONAL
00:42:25CHALLENGE. PEOPLE ARE DEMORALIZED IN OUR COUNTRY ABOUT
00:42:28HEALTH CARE. PEOPLE ARE WORKING
00:42:30TO IMPROVE IT. BUT UNTIL WE GET
00:42:32CONTROL OF THIS FRAUD, IF YOU THINK BACK 2 OR 3 YEARS, WHAT
00:42:36THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING OFFICE SAID, TAKE A LOOK AROUND THE
00:42:39ROOM. 1 IN 5 OF US WAS WORKING
00:42:42ALL YEAR TO PAY OUR TAXES, AND
00:42:44THEY WERE BEING STOLEN. 1 IN 5.
00:42:47THAT'S HOW MUCH THE GAO
00:42:49ESTIMATES WE'RE LOSING IN THESE PROGRAMS TO FRAUD. AND THIS IS A
00:42:53GROUP THAT SAYS, NOT ON THEIR
00:42:55WATCH. I LIKE TO KNOW, MOSS, AND
00:42:58I ALSO LIKE DR. OZ'S QUOTE. HE DIDN'T USE IT TODAY, BUT HE
00:43:02OFTEN USES IT THAT IF WE TOOK THE FRAUD OUT OF MEDICARE AND
00:43:04MEDICAID ALONE, WE'D EXTEND
00:43:07THOSE TRUST FUNDS. FIVE YEARS. THAT'S CARING FOR YOUR
00:43:11NEIGHBORS. THAT'S MAKING SURE LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT
00:43:13OF HAPPINESS APPLIES TO EVERYONE
00:43:19SO THANKS AGAIN TO THE SHOE LEATHER. THE LATE NIGHTS WITH
00:43:22THE SCREEN, THE SPREADSHEETS OF THE AGENTS, AND ALSO THE KIND
00:43:25COMMENTS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. MY OFFICE FUNDS AND
00:43:28CERTIFIES 50 MEDICAID FRAUD
00:43:31CONTROL UNITS AROUND THE NATION.
00:43:33PENNSYLVANIA IS IN THE VERY UPPER ECHELON, AND ONE OF THE
00:43:37ONES WE ASK OTHERS TO LOOK AT.
00:43:41WE'VE GOT A HANDFUL OF VERY NONPRODUCTIVE ONES WE'RE WORKING
00:43:44WITH VERY CLOSELY TO GET THEM UP
00:43:45TO SPEED. BUT I WANT TO THANK
00:43:48THE MEDICAID FRAUD CONTROL UNIT, WHICH HAS SOME VERY HARD WORKING
00:43:52PEOPLE. BUT LEADERSHIP MATTERS. I THANK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR
00:43:55HIS LEADERSHIP IN THAT AREA. I
00:43:59ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO
00:44:00BRAD. UH MY GOOD FRIEND, SCOTT
00:44:05BRADY, NOT HIS NAME IS NOT BRAD SCOTT BRADY, UH, WHO WE HAD AT
00:44:09HHS AND WAS STOLEN AWAY FROM US
00:44:12BY THE PRESIDENT'S FRAUD TASK
00:44:15FORCE. THANK YOU. >> MARK. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
00:44:19THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR BEING
00:44:22HERE TODAY. I'LL KEEP MY REMARKS BRIEF. I WANT TO REALLY
00:44:26EVERYONE, TO FOCUS ON THE GREAT WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
00:44:29JUSTICE AND THE STATE ATTORNEY
00:44:32GENERAL, AS MARK SAID, MY NAME IS SCOTT BRADY. I'M THE
00:44:35EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE IN
00:44:38PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST ADMINISTRATION, I WAS THE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR WESTERN
00:44:42PENNSYLVANIA, SO IT IS GOOD TO
00:44:44BE HOME. AS DR. OZ SAID, TODAY
00:44:47IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. TODAY
00:44:50IS ABOUT BRINGING FRAUDSTERS TO
00:44:52JUSTICE. AND TODAY IS ABOUT
00:44:55MAKING PENNSYLVANIA SAFER THAN
00:44:58IT WAS YESTERDAY. AS YOU'VE
00:45:01HEARD DURING THE PREVIOUS
00:45:03ADMINISTRATION, WE WITNESSED AN EXPLOSION OF FRAUD ACROSS THE
00:45:07UNITED STATES. AND THIS FRAUD
00:45:10CRISIS IMPACTED VIRTUALLY EVERY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE IN
00:45:13EVERY STATE, IN THE UNION. AND
00:45:18WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED TRULY
00:45:20SHOCKS THE CONSCIENCE. FROM THE
00:45:23HEARING CENTER IN MINNESOTA TO
00:45:26FAKE HOSPICES IN LOS ANGELES TO
00:45:28HERE IN PHILADELPHIA, A
00:45:31FRAUDSTER RUNNING A HOME HEALTH
00:45:33CARE BUSINESS FROM THAT PRISON,
00:45:36BILLING FOR SERVICES NEVER
00:45:40PROVIDED, STEALING YOUR TAX
00:45:43DOLLARS, STEALING FROM THE POOREST AND MOST VULNERABLE OF
00:45:47OUR CITIZENS IN RESPONSE TO THIS
00:45:50CRISIS OF FRAUD, PRESIDENT TRUMP
00:45:52AND VICE PRESIDENT VANCE HAVE
00:45:55LAUNCHED THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE,
00:45:57MOST AGGRESSIVE WAR ON FRAUD IN
00:45:59AMERICAN HISTORY UNDER VICE
00:46:02PRESIDENT VANCE LEADERSHIP, THE
00:46:04ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE LEADS 15 FEDERAL AGENCIES IN AN ALL OF
00:46:08GOVERNMENT STRATEGY, AND,
00:46:10PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
00:46:12MANDATE TO US IS CLEAR. HE WANTS
00:46:16US TO STOP FRAUD BY FIRST PREVENTING MONEY FROM GOING OUT
00:46:18THE DOOR. AND SECOND, THANKS TO
00:46:22COLIN MCDONALD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. HE WANTS
00:46:24FRAUDSTERS PUT IN JAIL FULL
00:46:26STOP. TODAY, TWO OF THE TASK
00:46:30FORCE'S MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERS, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND
00:46:33THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ARE DELIVERING
00:46:36JUSTICE TO FRAUDSTERS. I WANT TO THANK ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
00:46:40TODD BLANCHE, A G. COLIN
00:46:42MCDONALD, HHS SECRETARY ROBERT
00:46:45KENNEDY, AND CMS ADMINISTRATOR OZ, FOR THEIR TIRELESS
00:46:49LEADERSHIP. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE U.S. ATTORNEY DAVID
00:46:53METCALF AND PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL DAVE SUNDAY FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN FIGHTING,
00:46:56FIGHTING FRAUD, AND KEEPING PENNSYLVANIA SAFE, EVEN WHILE
00:47:00OTHER PENNSYLVANIA LEADERS LOOK
00:47:03THE OTHER WAY AND DO NOTHING.
00:47:06FRAUD IS NOT A VICTIMLESS CRIME
00:47:10FRAUDSTERS STEAL FROM ALL OF US, AND REAL PEOPLE GET HURT. AS
00:47:13YOU'VE HEARD, OUR FAMILIES, OUR
00:47:16FRIENDS, OUR NEIGHBORS, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE ARE FIGHTING
00:47:19TO PROTECT. FOR ME, AS A
00:47:24PENNSYLVANIAN, AS A PITTSBURGHER, THIS FIGHT IS PERSONAL. I WAS RAISED BY A
00:47:28SINGLE MOTHER IN A SMALL APARTMENT IN INNER CITY
00:47:31PITTSBURGH. AS A YOUNG BOY, MOM
00:47:33AND I MOVED TO A SMALL STEEL TOWN OUTSIDE OF PITTSBURGH,
00:47:37WHERE DURING THE 80s, WE HAD THE
00:47:39HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE
00:47:42ENTIRE UNITED STATES. AS THE MILLS SHUT DOWN, 40% OF OUR TOWN
00:47:45WAS UNEMPLOYED. MY FAMILY, EVERY
00:47:49ONE OF MY FRIENDS, FAMILIES
00:47:52RECEIVED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND GOVERNMENT CHEESE AND BUTTER
00:47:56UNTIL WE GOT BACK ON OUR FEET.
00:47:59AMERICA IS THE MOST GENEROUS,
00:48:02GENEROUS NATION IN THE WORLD. HARD WORKING AMERICANS TURN OVER
00:48:06TRILLIONS OF THEIR HARD EARNED
00:48:07DOLLARS TO FUND OUR BENEFITS
00:48:10PROGRAMS, AND THEY DO IT TO HELP
00:48:12THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS THROUGH HARD TIMES.
00:48:16AND THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY RIGHTLY EXPECT THAT IF THEY FALL
00:48:19ON HARD TIMES, THOSE PROGRAMS
00:48:21WILL BE THERE FOR THEM AS WELL.
00:48:23IF WE DON'T STOP THIS FRAUD,
00:48:28THESE PROGRAMS WON'T SURVIVE.
00:48:30AMERICAN CITIZENS WILL SUFFER.
00:48:33AND THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR
00:48:36POLITICS ARE, IF YOU CARE ABOUT MEDICAID, IF YOU CARE ABOUT
00:48:39MEDICARE AND OTHER BENEFIT
00:48:42PROGRAMS, YOU SHOULD SUPPORT
00:48:45FIGHTING FRAUD WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, AS WE DO WITH
00:48:47EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE UNDER THE VICE PRESIDENT'S
00:48:51LEADERSHIP, THE TASK FORCE IS
00:48:53WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD EVERY
00:48:55SINGLE DAY TO FIGHT FRAUD IN EVERY AGENCY, TO STOP FRAUD
00:48:59BEFORE IT HAPPENS, AND TO FIND,
00:49:02ARREST AND PROSECUTE FRAUDSTERS. WE'VE ALREADY STOPPED TENS OF
00:49:05BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FRAUD,
00:49:07AND WE'VE ALREADY INDICTED AND
00:49:09CONVICTED HUNDREDS OF FRAUDSTERS. AND AS YOU'VE
00:49:13HEARD, WE ARE JUST GETTING
00:49:16STARTED. LET ME BE CLEAR. IF YOU
00:49:20STEAL FROM HARD WORKING AMERICANS, IF YOU STEAL FROM OUR
00:49:22FELLOW PENNSYLVANIANS, YOUR DAYS
00:49:27ARE NUMBERED. WE ARE COMING FOR
00:49:29YOU. THIS FIGHT IS PERSONAL, AND
00:49:34WE WILL NEVER STOP. THANK YOU.
00:49:38>> THANK YOU. SCOTT. WE'LL TAKE
00:49:42A COUPLE QUESTIONS NOW. YES, SIR. >> THERE DEALING.
00:49:44>> DRUGS OUT OF THE PRISON THEY
00:49:47GETTING A CELL PHONE OR SOMETHING TO CLOCK IN AND OUT OF
00:49:50IN THE PRISON >> SO I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO ONE OF THE CHARGED CASES, AND
00:49:54I WON'T GET I WON'T GET SPECIFICALLY INTO THE
00:49:57ALLEGATIONS OF THAT CASE, GIVEN,
00:49:59GIVEN THE OPEN NATURE OF THAT
00:50:02CURRENT PROSECUTION. BUT BUT SPEAKING GENERALLY, WHAT THESE
00:50:06SCHEMES INVOLVE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT WHERE THEY SAY THAT
00:50:08THEY ARE AND WHO ARE IN A
00:50:10CONSPIRACY WITH SOMEONE ELSE AWAY FROM THEIR LOCATION, WHERE
00:50:14THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO THEN
00:50:16EXPLOIT THIS PROGRAM. AS U.S. ATTORNEY METCALF SAID, ONCE,
00:50:20ONCE THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE INSIDE THESE PROGRAMS, IT'S
00:50:23VERY HARD TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE
00:50:27HOME CARE SERVICES ARE, IN FACT,
00:50:28PROVIDED. AND SO THAT'S WHY SOMEONE FROM PRISON WOULD BE
00:50:32ABLE TO BE IN A CONSPIRACY WITH SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF PRISON TO
00:50:36KEEP BILLING, TO PRETEND AS THOUGH THEY'RE IN A DIFFERENT
00:50:38PLACE AT HOME, PROVIDING CARE TO
00:50:45AN ADULT RELATIVE. >> SO IN THAT CASE, IN THAT CASE, THE PERSON IN PRISON WAS
00:50:48BEING BILLED BY A COCONSPIRATOR. THE PERSON THEMSELVES WAS NOT
00:50:52BILLING IT. SO TAKE MISS WILLIAMS HUSBAND IN THAT PRISON.
00:50:54BEHIND ME WAS BEING BILLED BY MISS WILLIAMS WHILE HE WAS IN
00:50:58PRISON. THE ALLEGATION IN THAT CASE IS NOT THAT HE HAD A CELL PHONE BILLING IN PRISON.
00:51:02>> TO CLARIFY, WHAT ARE WE
00:51:08>> SO I'LL START FROM THERE. THAT'S THE CHART I DESCRIBED IN
00:51:11TERMS OF PENNSYLVANIA SPENDING. THE FIRST QUOTE IS FROM SEAN
00:51:14MURRAY IN A RECORDED JAIL CALL
00:51:17IN AUGUST 2020 FOR BRAGGING
00:51:18ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A RACKET HOME HEALTH CARE AID IS. THE SECOND
00:51:22QUOTE IS FROM MISS WILLIAMS HUSBAND WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED FOR
00:51:25DRUG TRAFFICKING, EXPLAINING THE
00:51:28PREVALENCE OF HOME CARE FRAUD THAT EVERYBODY IS DOING IT. THE PICTURES THEMSELVES. I'M GOING
00:51:32TO GO FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM. THE TOP ARE FROM THE
00:51:34SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS FROM SEAN
00:51:36MURRAY THAT SHOW HIM POSTING IN
00:51:43VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND THE
00:51:43GLOBE WHILE BILLING HOME CARE
00:51:47SERVICES FROM THE BOTTOM. THESE ARE SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS TAKEN BY
00:51:51FEDERAL AGENTS, WHILE MR. MURRAY
00:51:54WAS BILLING HOME CARE SERVICES.
00:51:56BUT WE ALLEGE WAS, IN REALITY,
00:51:59TRAFFICKING DRUGS
00:52:03>> ARE ALL OF THESE CASES CONNECTED TO THAT SAME AGENCY? THE COMFORT ZONE HOME HEALTH
00:52:07CARE, LLC, OR ARE THEY A VARIETY
00:52:09OF AGENCIES? >> THESE CASES KIND OF SPAN THE
00:52:13SPECTRUM OF, OF, OF DIFFERENT ACTORS AND DIFFERENT ENTITIES
00:52:16THAT ARE INVOLVED. BUT ALL OF
00:52:17THEM ARE CONNECTED BY THAT COMMON THEME OF EXPLOITING THIS
00:52:22HOME HEALTH CARE PROGRAM. YES, SIR. >> JUST A.
00:52:25>> QUESTION, PERHAPS FOR YOU,
00:52:26DR. ELLIS, WHAT EFFORTS ARE
00:52:30BEING MADE TO MAKE SURE THAT
00:52:31LEGITIMATE HOME HEALTH CARE
00:52:36PROVIDERS AND THEIR PATIENTS AREN'T GETTING, PERHAPS CAUGHT UP IN THIS INTENSE SCRUTINY
00:52:39>> OUR BIGGEST ALLIES. >> INCLUDING FRAUD, ARE THE
00:52:42LEGITIMATE PROVIDERS. KIM BRENT MENTIONED HOSPICE CARE. WE'VE
00:52:46TAKEN OUT ALMOST HALF OF THE HOSPICE CENTERS IN THE ENTIRE
00:52:48STATE OF CALIFORNIA. ALMOST
00:52:52NOBODY HAS COMPLAINED. WE'VE GOTTEN A COUPLE OF AI GENERATED NOTES. THE PEOPLE WHO TOLD ON
00:52:56THEM WERE THE OTHER HALF OF PROVIDERS THAT ACTUALLY ARE LEGITIMATE. WE'VE ASKED THE
00:53:00STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, WE'VE ASKED ALL 50 STATES, AND THIS WAS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE
00:53:04WHITE HOUSE, TO REVALIDATE THEIR
00:53:07HOME CARE PROVIDERS. REMEMBER,
00:53:09WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNLICENSED INDIVIDUALS IN AN UNMONITORED
00:53:13SETTING. HOW DO THESE GUYS ENFORCE THOSE RULES? SO WE'VE
00:53:16ASKED THE STATES TO GO BACK AND TELL US, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE
00:53:18A HOME CARE PROVIDER? AND THEN
00:53:20TELL US, BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN RULES, WHETHER YOUR PROVIDERS HAVE DONE THAT OR NOT? THE STATE
00:53:25OF MINNESOTA, WHEN THEY DID
00:53:28THIS, LESS THAN HALF OF THE PROVIDERS IN THESE AREAS WERE
00:53:32LEGITIMATELY, BY THEIR OWN RULES, ELIGIBLE TO PROVIDE THESE
00:53:35SERVICES. WHEN THEY SAY EVERYONE
00:53:38DOES IT, THAT'S THE PATHOLOGY. LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON IN
00:53:42PENNSYLVANIA. THE REASON WE HAVE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HERE, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE
00:53:45FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS BECAUSE WE ARE CONCERNED, WE'RE CONCERNED
00:53:47ABOUT A LOT OF STATES. BUT THIS IS PERSONAL FOR ME, BECAUSE I'M
00:53:51FROM THE STATES. DAN BRILLMAN IS SCOTT. A BUNCH OF US ARE
00:53:53OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE ARE. SO WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR
00:53:56STATE SPENDERS IN THE AMOUNT OF
00:53:59MONEY IN HOME CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND PROVIDERS? WE'RE
00:54:03OVERPAYING PEOPLE, DOING THE WORK, AND MORE OF THEM THAN REALLY LEGITIMATELY COULD BE
00:54:07DOING THE WORK. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO PAYING TOO MUCH PER PERSON.
00:54:10SO WE THINK THERE'S A EASY WAY OF THREADING THIS MASSIVE HOLE
00:54:14IN THE NEEDLE, WHICH IS CUT OUT THE FRAUDSTERS, WHICH AGAIN, MATHEMATICALLY COULD BE A LOT OF
00:54:17THEM, BECAUSE EVERYONE'S DOING IT. AND OTHER STATES HAVE GIVEN US A CLUE THAT IT'S A PROBLEM.
00:54:21YOU KNOW, WE HELP, WE HELP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE HELP THE FOLKS GETTING THESE BENEFITS,
00:54:25BUT WE ALSO HELP THE LEGITIMATE,
00:54:30APPROPRIATE PROVIDERS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT JUST STEALING
00:54:32MONEY. THESE FRAUDSTERS ARE STEALING OUR TRUST. AND THAT'S A
00:54:36MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THING TO
00:54:40REPLACE.
00:54:40>> YES, SIR.
00:54:44>> UM, QUESTION ABOUT ELECTRONIC VISIT VERIFICATION. ISN'T THAT IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
00:54:47ARE GETTING PAID FOR BEING AT
00:54:49WORK. SO IS THE IDEA THAT YOU
00:54:52HAVE THE PERSON WHO'S THE RECIPIENT? BENEFICIARY IS THE
00:54:55ONE WHO'S DOING THE VERIFICATION? EVEN IF THE PERSON
00:54:59IS ALREADY HERE? AND HOW DOES LIKE SOMEONE WHO'S BUILDING LIKE
00:55:0313 DIFFERENT AGENCIES, THEY HAVE
00:55:04TO DO THE RIGHT FOR ALL THOSE
00:55:08VISITS. I MEAN, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT WORK? >> SO THERE WAS A FEDERAL
00:55:12STATUTE PASSED IN 2020 TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. I'M HERE
00:55:15TO TELL YOU THAT IT HAS NOT WORKED, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, ALL
00:55:18IT TAKES IS IF YOU HAVE THIS SMARTPHONE APP, IS TO TAP A
00:55:21BUTTON. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE LOCATION SERVICES ENABLED, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY TRACK YOUR
00:55:25LOCATION, BUT YOU CAN ALSO. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS WHAT THE FRAUDSTERS DID. IN THIS CASE,
00:55:28YOU CAN CALL IN. AND THE ADDRESS
00:55:31THAT COMES BACK TO IS THE REGISTERED ADDRESS ON FILE.
00:55:33IT'S NOT WHERE YOU WERE. AND THAT'S WHAT MANY OF THE FRAUDSTERS DID IN THIS CASE. SO
00:55:37THE EVE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO
00:55:39PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SKIMMING THE SYSTEM AND TO ESTABLISH THAT
00:55:42THEY WERE ACTUALLY THERE.
00:55:46>> ONE MORE QUESTION. UNLESS
00:55:48THERE ARE NONE. THANK YOU ALL. >> CAN I ASK A QUESTION? >> YEAH. ONE QUESTION.
00:55:52>> I KNOW THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT
00:55:54THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN HOME CARE PROVIDERS AND HOW THEIR
00:55:57SKEPTICISM OF HOW THEY'RE ALL LEGITIMATE. CALIFORNIA HAS
00:56:00ARGUED THAT THEY HAVE JUST RAMPED UP THEIR PROGRAMS DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE
00:56:04OF YEARS, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND SINCE COVID, TO
00:56:08KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF NURSING HOMES. IS THAT PLAYING A ROLE?
00:56:12AND, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT SHARE OF THAT IS COULD BE
00:56:15CONTRIBUTING? AND COULD THAT BE TRUE? HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA?
00:56:18>> WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S. >> A TRUE STATEMENT. WE'VE
00:56:21COMPARED STATES. THIS IS ONE THING WE HAVE TO DO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS GIVE ALL THE
00:56:24STATES, GIVE ALL THE GOVERNORS THE DATA ON ALL THE OTHER
00:56:28STATES. AND IF YOU LOOK AT TEXAS VERSUS CALIFORNIA, PLAUSIBLE COMPARISONS, THEY'RE NOT SEEING
00:56:32THE SAME KIND OF INCREASE HOURS.
00:56:35IT'S NOT JUST PROVIDERS. THEY'RE PROVIDING THE AVERAGE BENEFICIARY TWICE AS MANY HOURS
00:56:39OF SUPPORT IN CALIFORNIA AS IN
00:56:41TEXAS. THEY'RE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. THEY SHOULD BE RELATIVELY THE SAME. THEY'RE
00:56:45ALSO PAYING MORE THAN TWICE AS
00:56:46MUCH PER HOUR FOR THE PEOPLE
00:56:49WORKING IN THESE AREAS IN CALIFORNIA AS IN TEXAS. I THINK
00:56:52THERE'S A BIGGER PROBLEM HERE. AND THIS IS NOT FRAUD, WASTE,
00:56:54AND ABUSE BY ITSELF. THIS IS CORRUPTION. ON THE UNDERLYING
00:56:58SYSTEM. WHEN YOU CORRUPT THE PRACTICES THAT RAT OUT THE FOUNDATION OF THE BOAT THAT
00:57:02WE'RE ALL IN TOGETHER, AND WE START TAKING ON WATER, WE CAN
00:57:06START POINTING FINGERS, BUT WHEN EVERYONE IS DOING IT, WHICH IS
00:57:08MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT QUOTE FROM THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, NOT SAID BY ANY OF US UP HERE.
00:57:12THAT'S A REAL PATHOLOGY. BECAUSE THEN IF YOU'RE NOT PART
00:57:15OF THE CORRUPT SYSTEM, YOU'RE A
00:57:17FOOL. WHEN I'M LYING TO YOU AND YOU KNOW I'M LYING TO YOU. AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT I'M
00:57:21LYING TO YOU. AND ON AND ON AND
00:57:23ON. THAT'S HOW COUNTRIES COLLAPSE.
00:57:26>> THANK