U.S. Senate Finance Committee Study On Privatization In Foster Care

To begin, I extend my humblest gratitude for the extensive work of the staffers of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in embracing the magnitude of the pervasive issues surrounding the profit component in the privatization in foster care.

I am deeply moved that this Committee came to an agreement to allow this exhaustive, well, somewhat exhaustive, study to be executed.

Now, for my 2 cents.

Of course, the study just had to be diplomatic, but that is expected.

I do not have to be professional as I am an original source.

Even though there was no mention of fraud, the venue is the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, which is proper, but, where is the Medicaid fraud?

I know this is only a start, so we are going to be working together for a very long time because there were 18 very naughty States which did not respond to the Committee's inquiries.

"Not all of the States responded to inquiries from the Committee. » Seventeen States failed to respond to the 50-State Letter. Those States were:

1. Arizona, 
2. Florida, 
3. Georgia, 
4. Idaho, 
5. Louisiana, 
6. Maine, 
7. Michigan, 
8. Mississippi, 
9. Missouri, 
10. Montana, 
11. Nevada, 
12. North Carolina, 
13. Ohio, 
14. Rhode Island, 
15. South Carolina, 
16. Vermont, and 
17. Virginia.

» Massachusetts failed to respond to the 5-State In-Depth Letter. Despite repeated assurances from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Family Services that ‘‘continuing efforts are being made to collect and prepare the information’’ with ‘‘the full intention to send a response to the Committee,’’ a response to the Committee’s questions was never received."

Why did this States not respond to the inquiry of privatization in foster care?

Fraud.

Michigan was the first state to privatize.

Now, that the ball is in my court, I shall be publishing my book, the first in a series, quite soon.

Oh, this is going to be so much fun to take these people out because they fund political campaigns and invest in many other ventures besides property.

CIVITAS Solutions: Human Trafficking Listed On NYSE

An Examination of Foster Care in the United States and the Use of Privatization by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Bipartisan Coalition Presses DOJ About Government Hacking

The United States Congress

Lawmakers Seek Answers About How Government Would Use New Hacking Authority, One Month Before Rule 41 Amendments Would Take Effect

Washington, D.C. –A bipartisan coalition of Senate and House lawmakers today asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch to provide Congress with more information about a proposed expansion of government hacking and surveillance powers.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Judiciary Committee member Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., with House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. John Conyers, Jr., D-Mich., and senior Judiciary Committee member Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, led a bipartisan group of 23 lawmakers asking for more information about the proposal, formally known as amendments to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Unless Congress acts, these new amendments are scheduled to go into effect on December 1.

“We are concerned about the full scope of the new authority that would be provided to the Department of Justice,” the lawmakers wrote. “We believe that Congress -- and the American public -- must better understand the Department’s need for the proposed amendments, how the Department intends to use its proposed new powers, and the potential consequences to our digital security before these rules go into effect.”

 The lawmakers ask DOJ a number of questions about how Rule 41 will be used, including:

• The letter was also signed by: Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah., Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Bipartisan Coalition Presses DOJ About Government Hacking on Rule 41 Letter 10.27.16 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Medicaid Fraud In Child Welfare: Congress Cannot Regulate What Is Not Regulated

Regulation by proxy is now in the Congress!

"At least 2 EpiPens for every kid on Medicaid"
Mylan's new lobby name

Regulation falls within the purview of the Executive Branch, but since there is a congressional movement of the majority to further strip law enforcement authorities of regulatory powers, it looks like we have a bit of a problem.

The congressional majority wants the powers of rulemaking.  Great, but it has shot itself in the foot because it is, in the same breath, gutting law enforcement capabilities of compliance which leads to an increase of fraud.

The congressional minority has refused any legislative movement to regulate the child welfare industry.  Gotta fund those campaigns, ya know.

So, how can there be a push for more deregulation of an industry which has never been regulated?

So, there you have it.

In bipartisan unison, Congress is asking questions of why Mylan has, and continues, engaged in Medicaid Fraud in Child Welfare.

And I shall continue to respond with the same statement:  "Because you allow it".

Even if these congressional committees find reason to refer for further investigation, all of this could have been prevented if Congress would just do what it is supposed to do and not just focus on the politics of protecting their corporate campaign contributors.

And as for Mylan, if you were not so greedy you propbably would never have been busted.

Wyden, Pallone Question Mylan Payments to Medicaid for EpiPens

Due to Apparent Decades-Long Misclassification as a Generic Drug, EpiPen Manufacturer Could Have Received Substantially More Taxpayer Dollars than Law Allows

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., today sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell requesting additional information regarding EpiPen’s classification and rebate obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, following revelations that Medicaid may have been grossly overpaying for the EpiPen for nearly two decades due to a misclassification by Mylan.

“These revelations are yet another example of drug makers abusing the dysfunctional, opaque drug pricing system Americans are forced to live with today,” Wyden and Pallone said. “The Medicaid drug rebate program is key to ensuring the most vulnerable have access to affordable medicine. Today we are asking if Mylan has been unfairly underpaying Medicaid for years. If this proves true, not only has Mylan been gouging family budgets through steep price hikes, but it appears they may have also been taking advantage of taxpayers through Medicaid for decades.”

As a part of the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, pharmaceutical companies wishing to sell their products in the program are required to pay a rebate to help make their drugs more affordable. For brand-name drugs, pharmaceutical companies are required to pay to the federal government a discount that is the greater of either 23.1 percent of the Average Manufacture Price (AMP) or AMP minus the “best price” for the drug, plus an additional discount if a drug’s price increases faster than the rate of inflation. The discount for generic drugs is lower, at 13 percent of the AMP.

Recent evidence indicates that, since at least 1997, EpiPen may have been incorrectly designated by relevant pharmaceutical companies as a generic in the Medicaid program, despite being considered a brand-name drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Medicare. This would mean Mylan has been vastly underpaying rebates owed to Medicaid for the EpiPen for years.

Wyden Pallone EpiPen Medicaid Drug Rebate Letter-Sept 2 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS & POE LEAD BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION TO STOP GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE AND HACKING

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) along with Congressman Blake Fahrenthold (R-TX) and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)introduced H.R. 5321 the Stop Mass Hacking Act. This is the companion bill to legislation introduced on the Senate side by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY). The Department of Justice has recently moved to make an administrative rule change to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure that would give the government the ability to hack the computers of a massive amount of American citizens just by obtaining a single warrant.  If Congress does not act by December 1, 2016, this change will be in effect. The Stop Massive Hacking Act prevents these changes to Rule 41 from going into effect.

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“I stand by the Stop Mass Hacking Act because I am not yet convinced that the proposed changes to Rule 41 are wise or necessary,” said Rep. Conyers. “This rule change is designed to streamline investigative techniques that allow law enforcement to gain unauthorized access and control to remote computer systems.  Until Congress has had an opportunity to examine this proposal in detail—and until we have adequately addressed the privacy concerns raised by my colleagues—this rule change should not take effect.”

“Government does not have the authority to unilaterally legalize widespread government hacking,” said Rep. Poe.  “Americans have rights. It is Congress’ responsibility to safeguard the constitutional rights of the people they represent from a power hungry Executive Branch. As such, we are moving to stop this change that condones hacking the property of the very people we are entrusted to protect.”

“This bill hits pause on a new rule which facilitates hacking of foreign entities and hijacking devices owned by the victims of malware attacks without their permission,” said Rep. Lofgren.  “These troubling activities, and the international, privacy, and security ramifications which may arise as a result, deserve serious deliberation and debate in Congress.”

“We’re in the midst right now of one of the biggest battles in the privacy world that we have faced,” said Rep Farenthold. “Because of the horrendous terrorist attacks we’ve witnessed, there’s a willingness to give up some of our freedoms and privacy in order to feel safe. That’s completely understandable, but if we keep down this path, we’re going to wake up in a few years in George Orwell’s ‘1984.’ This is why, as we fight for security, the intrusion on privacy

necessary to fight the war on terror needs to be narrowly tailored and aggressively overseen.”

“Representatives Poe, Conyers, Farenthold and Lofgren are leading the fight to protect Americans’ freedoms by introducing the Stopping Mass Hacking Act in the House of Representatives,” said Senator Wyden. “They’re proof that a growing, bipartisan coalition agrees that this expansion of the government’s hacking and surveillance authority simply goes too far.”

Stop Mass Hacking Act Summary by Beverly Tran

Read a one-page bill text of the Stopping Mass Hacking (SMH) Act.

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To My Dearest Superfans...

STOP JACKING MY COMPUTER AND PHONE!!!

Now, that I have that off my chest and your undivided attention, listen to me very carefully...I will type extremely slow so you will not miss a single word of what I am about to state.

As a public figure and in the capacity of a really happy gal, I extend invitation to you.

Call me.

We shall set a date and time for you to come over and I shall walk you through my skill sets while I serve you home baked scones and high tea as I dazzle you with my passion.

Oh, what merriment we shall make.

Ciao bellos & bellas!

#DOJ

Conyers Considering Legislation to Curb Government Hacking

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Michigan Rep. John Conyers, is looking into joining Sen. Ron Wyden’s (D-Ore.) movement to reverse Supreme Court-approved changes to federal criminal procedure that could expand government-run hacking operations. The change would allow judges to grant warrants for computer and data investigations in any jurisdiction.

“Many in the House, both Democrats and Republicans, remain concerned about the investigatory techniques at the heart of this discussion,” Conyers said late Thursday. “We will continue to study the issue and, when appropriate, we hope to join Senator Wyden in his call to block the change.”

Wyden introduced a bill on Thursday to reverse changes to federal criminal procedure “Rule 41,” approved by the Supreme Court in late April. Upon the introduction of the bill, Wyden’s office indicated a House companion bill is expected soon to reverse what Wyden called “dramatic expansion of the government’s hacking and surveillance authority.”

“These rule changes will allow the government to search millions of computers with the warrant of a single judge,” Wyden added in a Thursday post on Medium.

Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) cosponsor the Senate measure.

The Department of Justice requested the changes after three years of negotiations, and have disputed privacy advocates’ interpretation of the rule change.

“The amendment would not authorize the government to undertake any search or seizure or use any remote search technique not already permitted under current law, and the amendment does not change any of the traditional protections and procedures, such as the requirement that the government establish probable cause,” a DOJ spokesman said in an emailed statement Thursday.

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Will U.S. Senate Probe Non-Profit Child Welfare Orgs, Too?

QUESTION:  If the U.S. Senate Finance Committee can probe the nation's largest for-profit foster
care firm, then how come it cannot probe the nation's largest non-profit foster care firm?

ANSWER:  Because you cannot audit God!

On the non-profit side, Medicaid fraud is the biggest revenue stream, oops, I mean, cost-reimbursement in child welfare, yet no one wants to probe it but me.

Here is a list of the biggest non-profit Medicaid fraudfeasors in child welfare:


Catholic Charities

National Council of Jewish Women

Lutheran Services of America

There are many, many more religious-based, non-profits, which, allegedly, provide child welfare services.  I call it being paid for torture and rewarded through fraudulent billing practices.

I have submitted a formal request for a pdf of the letter sent to The MENTOR Network and will post as soon as it arrives.

For more "deeply disturbing news articles" on the horrors in foster care, go to Legally Kidnapped or just keep coming back here to stay on top of all news dealing with Medicaid fraud in child welfare.

Like us on facebook. Legally Kidnapped  Beverly Tran

#Time2AuditGod

US Senate Committee Probes Nation’s Largest For-Profit Foster Care Firm

http://www.buzzfeed.com/aramroston/senate-probing-mentor?utm_term=.pj1bO6vE3#.ooOYyRD7l

The leaders of the powerful US Senate Finance Committee last week sent a six-page letter to the nation’s largest for-profit foster care company, National Mentor Holdings, requesting detailed information about the firm’s business practices and treatment of the thousands of children in its care.

That request to Mentor marks the latest step in the committee’s sweeping inquiry into privatized
foster care, which began in April when the committee, citing BuzzFeed News’ reporting, asked all 50 state governors about their foster-care contracting practices. The letter to Mentor, signed by the committee chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah) and ranking member, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) cites “deeply disturbing” news articles that focus on “what appear to be serious deficiencies” in the company’s foster care operations.

BuzzFeed News has published extensive reporting about the foster-care giant, detailing problems such as deaths and abuse in foster homes run by Mentor in Maryland and Texas, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

Yesterday, a week after the Senate letter was sent, the company announced it was pulling out of foster care operations in five states. In a statement, Mentor said that the move was the result of a “comprehensive review” that began in January “to ensure we are delivering service excellence to every child in every home, while maintaining stable, sustainable financial performance.” Mentor will continue to provide foster care in at least seven states.

The company trades on the New York Stock Exchange as Civitas Solutions LLC, and markets itself as The Mentor Network. It is controlled by New York-based private equity fund Vestar Capital Partners.

In outsourced foster care, states pay organizations such as Mentor to recruit, train and oversee foster parents. The organizations even get paid to provide caseworkers and clinicians to monitor the children in their care.

As BuzzFeed News has reported, the firm has turned privatized foster care operations in the US into a profitable business over the last three decades. But there have been troubles, including at least six child deaths in the company’s homes since 2005, as well as cases of sex abuse. An investigation into a baby’s death in Massachusetts found “serious violations of child placement regulations.”
Investigators in Illinois found a “culture of incompetence.” A prosecutor in Texas has called for a federal investigation of the company after a two year old was murdered by her foster mother, who had been hired by Mentor.

Senate Review

The Senate committee’s new focus on Mentor shows that it is looking not just at state governments but at private contractors as well. As of late last year, the company said it had 3800 children in its care in 15 states.

The Senate letter cites “tragic consequences” resulting from “serious errors in judgment by Mentor.” The letter requests information on how much federal money, from the so-called Title IV-E funds, which are meant to support foster care, Mentor receives. That’s something that even the federal Administration for Children and Families, which oversees the program, doesn’t know, because the funds are distributed directly to states, which don’t have to report which contractors they hire.

The letter also requests information about whether Mentor uses non-disclosure agreements in settling cases with children who may have been harmed in its care. “Since January 2005, has Mentor entered into any agreements concerning non-disclosure/confidentiality clauses with the legal representatives of children who were, or who are now, placed in Mentor foster care homes?”

Sources have told BuzzFeed News that former employees of Mentor sometimes have signed restrictive confidentiality clauses, and that the firm has required confidentiality when it settled lawsuits with children harmed in its homes. A Mentor spokesperson said that the firm does not have the ability to keep an incident a secret.

The letter also requests information about Alliance Human Services, a non-profit organization that frequently works with Mentor. As BuzzFeed News has reported, some states contract with Alliance, which then subcontracts the work to the for-profit company, Mentor.

And the senators asked about whether Mentor pays bonuses for placements of children at homes, or whether there are targets, or quotas. Former employees have alleged that pressure for profits drove the company to cut corners on care — a charge Mentor denies.

In its statement, Mentor said it is “engaged in an on-going dialogue with the Committee” and would continue to respond to the committee’s questions.

Mentor Pulling Out of Five States

In a filing Wednesday with the SEC, Mentor announced it will be pulling out of foster care in Texas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana and North Carolina. It says it will “transition” the 1000 children living in its foster homes in those states to other facilities.

Sarah Magazine, the company spokesperson, said there was no relationship between the Senate’s questions to Mentor and the timing of the announcement that the firm was pulling out of foster care in five states. It also said that BuzzFeed News’ reporting did not influence its decision.

One Texas prosecutor who has called for a federal investigation of Mentor said he was delighted to hear that the firm is getting out of the child welfare business in his state.

“That’s wonderful,” said Milam County District Attorney W.W. Torrey. “It’s super.”

Torrey prosecuted a Mentor foster mother named Sherill Small in 2014, who murdered her two year-old foster daughter, Alexandria Hill in 2013. Torrey has said Mentor should never have placed the little girl with Small.

Mentor put the girl in Small’s custody despite the fact that five children had been removed from her care as “failed placements.” An internal Mentor document stated that Small “reported feeling stressed out, and will express that she is unable to care for the children in the home.” Mentor has expressed regret about the “poor judgment” it made in that case.

“How could they have been any more negligent?” he said. “Abject negligence!”

The firm said the move out of the five states would “strengthen financial performance” and help it improve its services. “I am confident,” said CEO and President Bruce Nardella, “that these changes will make us a better provider and a stronger company.”

Earlier this year, the company also stopped providing foster care in Illinois, where it had custody of 485 children. The firm said that move had nothing to do with a scathing state investigation that found a “culture of incompetence” at the company and denied that it had such a culture.

Correction

Indiana is one of five states from which Mentor is pulling its foster care business. An earlier version of this post stated incorrectly that Georgia was one of the five states. Jun. 24, 2015, at 4:32 p.m.

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