Unwarranted Drug Tests On Senior Citizens

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER

Consumer Watchdog reports that doctors across the country are committing Medicare fraud by ordering medical tests for senior citizens that are unwarranted. Senior citizens, who are the age group least likely to be addicted to illegal drugs, are being tested by their doctors for drugs, such as ecstasy, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and PCP. Experts in the medical field report that these more expensive, sophisticated drug tests should only be ordered to corroborate positive results that are first obtained by less expensive methods and testing. A Wall Street Journal (WST) report claims that, in a period of five years, Medicare’s spending on drug testing increased by a whopping 1,423%. One company in California – Millennium Laboratories – received $190 million from Medicare, $4.5 million of which was paid out for PCP tests alone.

According to the WST, doctors who practice pain management are responsible for a majority of the Medicare fraud as drug testing is where they are profiting most. Doctors are not just in the business of treating our seniors; they are in the business of making a profit from them. When one form of Medicare fraud is uncovered, doctors inevitably find another avenue to make a profit. Just four years ago Medicare put a stop to fraud surrounding routine urine tests. The New York Times conducted their own review of Medicare payments, which revealed that 25% of these payments are paid out to just 2% of the doctors who accept Medicare. Excessive treatment and testing is a big problem in this country, costing taxpayers approximately $158 to $226 billion each year.

Evans law Firm, Inc. handles physical and financial elder abuse cases, personal injury cases, banking/insurance fraud, consumer class action fraud, and whistleblower litigation.  If you or someone you know has been a victim of any of the above, contact Evans Law Firm, Inc., Inc. for a free and confidential legal evaluation at 415-441-8669 or [email protected].