Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
Letter: Harold P. Williams Jr.
Fraud hurts everyone
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
I hope our residents and citizens got to see the “60 Minutes” program on Oct. 25 and can understand the enormous problem of fraud and corruption that daily takes place in our country in Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicare, by itself, pays out more than $430 billion each year in claims, many bogus, and for goods or services that are not received by the Medicare patient.
According to the study conducted by “60 Minutes,” it has become much more lucrative for people to buy valid Social Security numbers and names and to bill Medicare than to sell drugs. They spend less time in prison and alleviate the dangers of confrontation with law officers.
We have known for many years about corruption on Wall Street, where many deals are made with impunity, and bonuses are handed out by advance preparation with little emphasis on actual performance, but the Medicare and Medicaid scam is astounding. It speaks to who we are and what we accept. It speaks to who our friends are and what we expect of our elected officials.
When corruption and fraud continue, they hurt everyone.
Harold P. Williams Jr.
Martinsville
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