Sunday, January 30, 2011

Maura Corrigan Has A Long History Of Covering Up Fraud

I wrote this in 2009.  Maura Corrigan is the reason why there is no fraud enforcement in Michigan child welfare.  Now she is running the show as Director.

One of my fans informed me that she is about to dust off the Binsfield program which made poverty a crime and grounds for removal of a child, and allowed false claims and racketeering to flourish.

A Coital Partnership: MI DHS and U.S. DHHS Region 5

Here is the situation:

The United States of America is based on a federalist structure, meaning states have autonomy and the federal government cannot tell states what to do. We, also, have the Eleventh Amendment, providing states with sovereign immunity.

In child welfare, there are these events called "audits". This is when the Regional Department of Health and Human Services Office, Administration for Children and Families sends down its team to conduct Social Security Act Title IV-B and E compliance reviews to see if states are properly administering the public money.

Every audit period, the Administration for Children and Families Region 5 has generated glowing reports for Michigan and the state basques in the federal radiance of operating an efficient and effective child welfare system. As soon as the federal report is published, the Michigan Auditor General comes along and contradicts everythingRegion 5 found.

Many, in shock and awe, may read this in disbelief and ask why there has been no action taken to stop the act of Medicaid fraud. The answer is that Medicaid compliance is not an item of review, for these audits are only for SSA Title IV-B and E. Besides,Medicaid fraud prevention and prosecution is the responsibility of the Attorney General, who does absolutely nothing because the Attorney General would have to self-prosecute. It is the question in its alternative form that is more interesting:

"Why is Region 5 finding Michigan to be SSA Title IV-E compliant?"

It's because they are all in this together. See, the administrators over at Region 5 in Chicago know they have not executed their fiduciary responsibilities to the best of their abilities.

Recently, the Region 5 Office of Civil Rights demanded response to investigation on disparities in adoption subsidies because, as the allegations point out, Michigan is providing for lower rates for adoptive minority children and denying special needs assistance to children under 2 years.

This practice only makes sense when viewed from a monetary perspective. The longer a minority and/or special needs child lingers in the state foster care system, the higher the levels of claims and the increase in frequency of fraudulent claims, for there is no one to even check. Once a child is adopted out, you have a dramatic shift in funding responsibilities for the state as the Federal Formula Percentage kicks in, leaving the state obligated to pay more out-of-pocket for the adopted minority and/or special needs child.

Then, you have Michigan Children's Institute, a pseudo-government agency, with anartificial Superintendent who was never appointed but possesses the power to grant consent in the courts while wielding the power to overrule the decision of another state. It should be noted that Michigan did shuffle and throw in new court rules to cover up one of its adoption scheme mentioned above.

Kate Hanley, Michigan Adoption Director was overheard before walking in to provide Senate testimony on the state adoption plan speaking to a few Senators "that it would be impossible for Michigan to come into federal Title IV-E compliance." It is more cost effective for the state to continue to receive a lower Federal Formula Percentage than to come into compliance. I wonder how it felt to flat out lie on public record? I would ask her but she never returns my calls or letters.

Michigan, being a state, can snub any federal mandate to compliance with Justice Maura Corrigan leading the immunity dance with her federal partner, Kent Wilcox.

So, it looks as if Michigan and Region 5 are going to continue its coital partnership, making everybody look good and continue the flow of revenue into the state. I am quite sure if anyone out of Region 5 was ever without a job, they could always work in Michigan government.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Maura Corrigan Proud Of Submitting False Claims

This comment was left on my recent post of Maura Corrigan being busted lying to the Region V auditors of HHS OIG.

Maura Corrigan proud of submitting false claims to the feds.


This should not be a surprise. Maura Corrigan was bought and paid by the Roman Catholic Church by Holy Cross Children's Services Supervisor Berkobein who handed the bribe directly to then gubenatorial Candidate Rick Snyder who took the 20 thousand dollar Campaign contritubion on Behalf of St. Stevens home in Saginaw MI. Our Government is evil.
I believe it is time for the U.S. Department of Justice to step in.

The Art Of War On Fraud

One of my favorite books is the Art of War.

When one is on a mission, strategic plans and loyal supporters come together for a common cause...to end child welfare fraud.


Funk star’s visit kicks off campaign for artists’ rights

By Ian Perrotta
On a recent Saturday night, Kelly’s Bar was taken over by George – George Clinton, that is.
Well, he didn’t really take it over, but even without his trademark dreadlocks his presence was obvious among the usual suspects that make up the Saturday night blues crowd.
Clinton was at the bar attending the monthly meeting of the Detroit Blues Society, which was holding its awards ceremony for lifetime achievement in the industry. He was there to bring awareness to the important issue of recording artists’ royalty rights.
Over the last several decades, Clinton – who rose to fame with the Parliament-Funkadelic music collective in the 70s – has recorded countless songs and albums through a number of projects with various other artists. However, because the recording companies have retained the copyrights to the music, Clinton is now broke and faces homelessness.
It’s an issue that faces thousands of musical artists and their families, and one that is especially inherent in Detroit, where many recording artists were signed to unfair contracts that excluded them from money that was rightfully theirs.
In his pursuit to recapture his copyrights, Clinton has retained legal counsel and brought forth civil claims. But during the course of arbitration his attorney met with record company producers – without notifying Clinton – and after advising him not to attend that meeting, subsequently removed himself from the case two days before court.
Additionally, the attorney has placed liens on Clinton’s accounts, properties and all future settlements. Now being sued for his own music, he has turned into an advocate for music rights. He is currently working in conjunction with Congressman John Conyers and local resident Beverly Tran to bring the issue to the forefront of the national agenda, particularly through House Resolution 848, which is designed to provide parity in radio performance rights.
Though Clinton did not speak at Saturday’s meeting, he did perform an impromptu song. Being a spokesman is still something he’s getting used to, and his presence signaled the beginning of a new era of recording in which artists are not only appreciated for the work they do, but adequately compensated as well.
And while copyright issues will become more important in the coming future, Tran says that the past matters just as much.
“The immediacy of the matter demands attention as individuals are rewriting the history of the world through the methodical annihilation of national treasures which have left legendary black musical artists and their families destitute by claiming royalties without authorization or notification,” says Tran. “The removal of original names of legendary Detroit musical artists and their heirs from the record through the presentation of false documents is corrupting the recorded history of the civil rights movement.

This is my journey through the political process in the United States to end 
Medicaid fraud in child welfare.

Qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur.



New York Child Welfare Found To Be Poorly Managed

This is rather an interesting angle taken by the Independent Democratic Conference.  Now let's see them do a report of the various types of fraud schemes in the New York Office of Children and Family Services.


Independent Democratic Conference: OT, Workers Comp Woes At Children And Family Services

idc logo 1-24-2011 4-48-02 PM.jpgThe Office of Children and Family Services has increased overtime costs and experienced a drastic spike in worker's comp claims, the Senate's breakawayIndependent Democratic Conference says in a new report.
The numbers come as the overall number of youths under OCFS supervision has decreased from 983 during this beginning of the 2009-2010 fiscal year to roughly 700 currently.
Said state Sen. Jeff Klein, “There is no good reason why costs and workplace violence are rising, while the numbers of youths under OCFS supervision are falling. Gov. Cuomo has made revamping our juvenile justice system a priority. Based on our findings, this reform cannot come soon enough.”
Read the report here or below.
Mayor Bloomberg is pushing for the city to regain more control over its juvenile justice system from the state.




Independent Democratic Conference: Examining Spending at the Office of Children and Family Services, New York http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/01/independent-democratic-conference-ot-workers-comp-woes-at-children-and-family-

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

CPS Juvenile Family Court Criminal Enterprise - Lawyers Judges Activists Speak

The New Slave Trade

The institution of slavery is alive and well.   It is called foster care and adoption.

We do not sell humans...we adopt them.

We do not buy humans...we get tax credits.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Utah Child Welfare Audit Is Rather Scathing

This is a scathing audit report on the operations of child and family services of Utah and it is not pretty.

Basically, in 2009 the federal court release the state from its federal monitoring settlement agreement. Funding was increased to improve services and delivery to provide more in-home services to families.

Instead, the child and family services division drastically decreased its in-home services and began to snatch kids and put them in foster care. Once in foster care, the cost of care significantly increased and children lingered longer in the system without reason.

Due to these practices, parents were faced with forced termination of parental rights because of the automatic 12 month rule to place the child into adoption.

Beyond the Title IV-E issues, you have your basic Medicaid, Targeted Case Management fraud as much deals with services.

Utah Performance Audit of The Division of Child and Family Services 2011

Maura Corrigan Is A Brilliant And Refined Liar

This is my comment on the recent audit of Michigan's federal child welfare services Title IV-E reviews.  I thought it best to post it here just in case the moderator takes it down.
Corrigan proud of false claims


The judicial branch has not supported DHS in the appeal, it actually participated in filing of federal false claims and has been doing so for years. The attorney general contemporaneously advises and advocates in these revenue-maximization fraud schemes.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of Attorney General does absolutely nothing except expend great amounts of energy and funds defending its pattern of covering up Medicaid and other forms of health care fraud and antitrust representing the Superintendent of Michigan Children’s Institute, Bill Johnson,who represents the State of Michigan without appointment or election, with no oath of office on file with the Secretary of State, and possesses the power to overrule a decision of another state by denying ICPC interstate adoptions.
It is quite difficult for the Attorney General to prosecute itself for filing false claims.
The following string of excerpts from federal and Michigan audits and evaluations is a working example of Medicaid Fraud in Child Welfare:
“Michigan staff, both at the Central Office and county level, did an excellent job of preparing for the review. Records were extremely well organized with necessary documentation of eligibility requirement readily located. The State provided a “reviewer friendly” environment for the review to take place. Of note was the willingness and untiring efforts made by the Program Office in leading this effort. DHS licensing and field staff, in partnership with personnel from the SCAO and the Wayne County Department of Children and Family Services, were most efficient in obtaining additional information or acting as resources during the onsite review. Additionally, DHS’ fiscal unit is recognized for the thorough and updated payment histories.



Michigan staff actively and enthusiastically participated in reviewing the cases.
(That’s because they successfully covered up the Medicaid Fraud.)

Exemplary is the collaborative relationship between DHS and the State Court. This was evident not only in the presence of either the current or former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court at the entrance or exit conference, but also in the excellent quality of court orders observed during the review. In particular, the involvement of SCAO is noted for conveying title IV-E requirements to the court, instituting revisions to court orders and garnering greater consistency in the use of those revisions among the county courts. The ongoing collaboration between DHS and SCAO is a strong mechanism to foster an understanding of the need for and timely occurrence of appropriate and meaningful judicial determinations for children within both the child welfare and legal communities.”
“The state averted the loss of nearly $40 million in child welfare funding, thanks in part to the work of judicial branch staff.”
“If DHS did not improve, it faced a possible penalty of $22 million”…. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conducted the second eligibility review of DHS’s case files for foster care maintenance payments issued between April 1, 2006 and September 30, 2006. Prior to the review, DHS conducted an extensive case file review to identify cases that did not meet Foster care: Title IV-E Program eligibility requirements. For cases that DHS determined did not meet the Foster Care: Title IV-E Program eligibility requirements, DHS changed the funding source on the cases to a funding source other than Foster Care: Title IV-E Program before April 1, 2006… As a result, those cases were not in the population reviewed during the federal review…The federal review concluded that DHS was in substantial compliance with federal eligibility requirements for the period April 1, 2006 through September 30, 2006.

We issued a qualified opinion on the Foster Care: Title IV-E Program. Our conclusion is different from the federal review because our sample included cases from the entire audit period.
During the (Michigan) onsite review, (federal) reviewers determined that criminal background checks were in evidence for all foster home files that were examined. In instances where children were placed in child caring institutions, reviewers determined that law enforcement checks had been done on administrators. Particularly noteworthy is Michigan’s practice of screening all licensed foster homes against its child abuse register on a weekly basis.
DHS had not developed a formal policy that defined when and for what service types criminal background checks and educational qualifications should be required as a part of a human service contract (includes foster care).
Health care fraud is health care fraud. Pettibone got punked by Corrigan, the same way Madoff pulled the wool over the eyes of the FCC for decades, but you have to give Maura credit, when it comes to cover ups of federal false claims and racketeering in the child welfare system, the gal is damn good.
"Qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur!"
Beverly Tran
An Original Source

DHS prevails in federal audit appeal

News about former Justice Maura Corrigan, getting busy in her new role as Department of Human Services director:
Michigan Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan today announced that the DHS prevailed in a federal appeal and, as a result, passed a 2010 audit of its performance of the
federal IV-E program in Michigan. Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act covers federal
funding for Michigan’s foster care and adoption assistance programs.
In June 2010, the DHS underwent a federal review of the state’s program operation. The
weeklong review of 80 foster care cases determined whether DHS had correctly determined
eligibility for children under its care and custody. The state was allowed to have a 5 percent error
rate, or four cases.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families
notified Michigan last August that the state did not pass the review because it identified six error
cases. Two of the error cases resulted in a total disallowance of $67,264 in federal funds.
The Michigan attorney general, on behalf of DHS, appealed this finding to the federal Department
Appeals Board in November 2010. The federal board issued a decision Jan. 14 finding for the
DHS. It reversed the disallowance and ruled Michigan is operating the Title IV-E program in
accordance with federal regulations.
“The Department of the Attorney General provided DHS with excellent legal representation in our
appeal of the federal review findings,” Corrigan said. “Moreover, the entire team for DHS and the
State Court Administrators Office deserves our praise for their fine work in conducting the
preparation for the review.”
The federal IV-E program provided about $224.2 million in funds for the Michigan foster care and
adoption programs during fiscal year 2009, the most recent year for which records are available.
Because of the decision, Michigan will not be required to conduct a subsequent federal onsite
review until 2013. The 2010 review was Michigan’s third of the IV-E program since 2004.
Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr. of the Michigan Supreme Court commended both Corrigan
and the attorney general for their advocacy on behalf of Michigan’s children and on the proper
operation of the Title IV-E federal program.
“Former Justice Corrigan made the commitment to DHS several years ago that she would work to
assure courts operated in compliance with federal Title IV-E program regulations,” said Young.
“Her tireless commitment and advocacy resulted in outstanding news for Michigan with this
review. The Supreme Court will continue to work with former Justice Corrigan in her new role as
DHS director to continue the same high level of collaboration.”
Young also praised SCAO’s Child Welfare Services Division for its work on the audit and appeal:
“In particular, we should acknowledge CWS Management Analyst Jenifer Pettibone, who played
a leading role on this successful appeal,” Young said. “Pettibone’s work is a fine example of how
the judicial branch has supported DHS, not only in this appeal process, but also in child welfare
work in general.”

Teachers blamed for record number of children being prescribed 'chemical cosh'


Teachers blamed for record number of children being prescribed 'chemical cosh'


The vast majority of the children on 'chemical cosh' were given the potent drug on the instruction of their teacher
The vast majority of the children on 'chemical cosh' were given the potent drug on the instruction of their teacher
Teachers have been blamed for the record number of children prescribed ‘chemical cosh’ drugs such as Ritalin.
There are now some 650,000 eight to 13-year-olds on the drug or its equivalents.
This marks an astonishing rise, up from 92,700 in 1997 and just 9,000 in 1990, according to NHS figures.
Yesterday it emerged the vast majority of the children were given the potent drug on the instruction of their teacher.
Critics say staff are too quick to dish out drugs if their pupils get restless – in an effort to keep control of the classroom. And experts warned of the damage inflicted on ‘developing minds’.
Amphetamine-like Ritalin is prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, by increasing alertness and improving aspects of ­concentration and memory.
Tom Burkard, of the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, said: ‘Due to health and safety regulations and unstimulating education techniques, kids are expected to sit still at a desk for six to eight hours
a day. To think they will not fidget and get
restless is completely unrealistic. Then the teachers, struggling to cope, get the children dosed up on drugs so they can control the classroom.’
Russell Hobby, of head teachers’ union the NAHT, agreed it was an increasing problem but said issues in society as a whole, not teachers, were to blame.
He added: ‘It’s an increasing issue in our society. We label children as having medical conditions when they just have minor behavioural problems.’

Monday, January 24, 2011

National Coalition for Child Welfare Fraud Exposure

National Coalition for Child Welfare Fraud Exposure


 0digg
I have started a facebook group.

National Coalition for Child Welfare Fraud Exposure

"An international group of legal, health care and child welfare experts dedicated to the exposure of fraud, waste, fabrications, misdirection, exaggerations, and intentional lies in Child Welfare. This will be an open and public group for information sharing, coordination and discussion.


Anybody dedicated to the cause is welcome to join.


And now I can give myself a catchy title.


LK
Executive Director of the NCCWFE
National Coalition for Child Welfare Fraud Exposure

HHS and DOJ Health Care Fraud and Abuse Annual Report 2010

The Department of Health and Human Services and The Department of Justice Health Care Fraud and Abuse Contr...

Fraud Prevention Efforts Recover $4 Billion

Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP Final Rules 2011

Final rules with opportunity for public comment only on fingerprinting requirement.

These regulations are effective on March 25, 2011

Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP Additional Screening Requirements, Application Fees, Temporary Enrollment Moratori...

States' Rumplestiltskin FOIA Avoidance Protocol

What a joke!

I do not know about the rest of the States, but I will surely tell you about Michigan.

See, in Michigan, when you FOIA, even if you follow procedure and state it is a public issue, including demonstrating indigency, the state will hit you with its basic avoidance format.

It has been calculated that the cost of researching and compiling the information, including printing and manpower hours, will be some ridiculous amount.  As a show of good faith, please send a partial payment in the amount of your first born child and a body part.
I guess it just goes to show you, every state has its own excuse not to honor FOIA.


Read the last two paragraphs in this story on Freedom of Information Act "abuse":
Yet another financial problem rests with Freedom of Information Request abuse. DuPage Forest Preserve District Commissioner Carl Schultz said one person had recently cost the district $60,000 for FOIA requests; much of the information is already available, Schultz said.
The problem is stated as being one of abuse. What the commissioner is implying is that it's the requester who is at fault for the high cost of FOIA. However, it's clear this isn't the case.
When one sends FOIA requests for information that is available online, the FOIA response will not fulfill the request and state the availabity of information as a reason; the nice agencies/departments give you URLs. If the FOIA fulfillment system in the Commissioner's district is inefficiently duplicating copies that already exist, that is that commissioner's responsibility to fix the problem.
A system for answering FOIAs is flawed if the system doesn't:
*post information online,

*make it searchable and easy to use.
The second part can be easier said than done, but if information is "available" and the consumer can't get to it, it may as well not be. (DuPage makes real efforts to make information available and usable to its citizens online.)
Setting up and maintaining such a system for responding to public records requests is probably expensive and complicated, but that's certainly no fault of the public. Citizens have a right to information, and local governments have a duty to make this information available to them--it's in the job description.

Defensive Medicine in Child Welfare Found To Be Fraud Scheme

With the continuous lack of oversight and enforcement in children's health care programs funded through Medicaid, children suffer as privatized contractors reap the financial benefits of false claims.

On of the largest areas for Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse is in Targeted Case Management, particularly under the foster care programs.

Reimbursements are submitted by phantom and ineffective children's programming to provide non-existent health care services and/or extremely poor quality services, by persons who are not qualified, to justify the billing of more extreme and unnecessary evasive medical procedures, more readily recognized as defensive medicine.

As there is little or no redress or recourse for children under the auspices of the state who have been harmed by the relevant aforementioned Medicaid fraud scheme,  the pattern of practice continues, as does the false claims.

There is no medical malpractice liability in child welfare.

U.S. House Judicial Committee recently addressed the issues of the practices of defensive medicine in regards to Medical Malpractice Liability.  Unfortunately, nothing was mentioned regarding States Child Welfare Medicaid Programs.



Stay tuned...

Medicaid pays more, kids get less, audits show


Turning in-home and in-school treatment of some of Virginia's most troubled kids over to private providers has resulted in ballooning Medicaid costs, overbilling and treatment by unqualified staff.
Many of the hundreds of firms that jumped into the business also treated children who weren't really eligible for service, according to state records, obtained after repeated Freedom of Information Act requests to the Department of Medical Assistance Services.
Many children were not properly assessed. Providers didn't prepare formal treatment plans and didn't keep progress notes. Providers commonly claimed to provide service in improbable circumstances, including lengthy sessions of up to five hours for young children, as well as treatment after 11 p.m. and on holidays, the records show.
"It's very clear some families and children didn't get the services they needed," said Lester Saltzberg, director of licensing at the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
It wasn't for a lack of spending by Medicaid — the joint state and federal health care program for the poor and disabled that's been struggling for years with limited funds.
Medicaid's expenditures on the in-home service has grown 250 percent since 2006, to reach $176.5 million, according to data compiled by the House of Delegates' Appropriation Committee. Just last year, as the state began auditing providers, spending rose 20 percent, according to Medicaid's own data.
Spending on the day-treatment service, generally delivered in schools when children are not in mainstream classes, rose by 418 percent, to $144.9 million. Even after auditing started last year, this spending rose 28.5 percent.
An outside auditor's review of 70 providers' 2008 operations identified $14.9 million of questionable payments. The state attorney general's office prosecuted three cases involving more than $4.6 million of fraud.
"Given the number of new providers and the focus on providing services to children in the community, increasing expenditures were expected," said Medicaid spokesman Craig Markva.

He also said the services were overused as some providers misinterpreted who was eligible and what exactly was required of them.
In July, Medicaid started using a firm to check whether particular children actually need the service for authorizing payment. It strengthened requirements for staff qualifications in September, Markva said.
The two services used to be offered through community services boards, the state's local mental health agencies, usually with staff who held master's degrees or had several years of experience.
In a bid to expand the service, the state opened the service up to private firms three years ago — but didn't update regulations, which meant the private firms could legally send people with only high school diplomas to do clinical tasks in homes and schools, said Saltzberg, at the behavioral health department.
At the $70 an hour Medicaid was paying for the two services, the boards were breaking even on the services provided by their professionals.
But the $70 rate looked like a business opportunity in the private sector. Hundreds of firms signed up for the work — 401, up by nearly 200 in the past two years — and many hired staff with minimal qualifications.
And with nobody in state government checking who the companies were serving, the number of children and families in the system rose too — many were children who were more appropriately served with other kinds of outpatient services, for which Medicaid pays public and private providers $46 an hour, Saltzberg said. It's been tough to keep those programs going, financially.
In one case, Denise McCreary, a suburban Richmond provider billed Medicaid for:



  • Services the city's Behavioral Health Authority actually provided one child.







  • Services for three boys, telling Medicaid they were seriously disturbed while telling their guardian she was providing them a Big Brother program. One of the boys was an honor roll student; none had been diagnosed with a mental health issue or been found to be at-risk youth.







  • Therapy provided a 6-year-old and a 7-year-old, which turned out to be one trip to a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant and another to a city park. Their guardian thought McCreary was providing a Big Brother/Big Sister program; neither of the two were considered at-risk children.
    A federal judge last fall convicted her of defrauding Medicaid of $601,580 over a 10 month period.
    "The aim was to expand access," Saltzberg said. "But if you expand access without looking at how you regulate, there can be unintended consequences."