Sen. Menendez contacted top officials in friend’s Medicare dispute
Source: Washington Post
Sen. Robert Menendez raised concerns with top federal health-care officials twice in recent years about their finding that a Florida eye doctor a close friend and major campaign donor had overbilled the government by $8.9 million for care at his clinic, Menendez aides said Wednesday.
Menendez (D-N.J.) initially contacted federal officials in 2009 about the governments audit of Salomon Melgen, complaining to the director overseeing Medicare payments that it was unfair to penalize the doctor because the billing rules were ambiguous, the aides said.
Last year, in a meeting with the acting administrator of the agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, Menendez again questioned whether federal auditors had been fair in their assessment of Melgens billing for eye injections to treat macular degeneration, the senators aides said.
The agency had ordered Melgen to repay the $8.9 million, and at the time of both conversations, Melgens appeal was pending. That appeal is unresolved.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-menendez-contacted-top-officials-in-friends-medicare-dispute/2013/02/06/e01bf928-6fd4-11e2-aa58-243de81040ba_singlePage.html
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)I mean, it's bad, but are all of the Senators basically just as guilty and for some reason someone has it out for Menendez?
Anyway, I wish we could be more like Finaland and put aside partisanship and boot every single politician that does anything even slightly wrong.
karynnj
(59,503 posts)There ARE more Congressmen and Senators that have problems, though this is more blatant than most. I think this is partly caused by the need to raise huge sums of money to run for office. Menendez is not rich nor was he surrounded by rich friends. I would conjecture the favors may have started relatively innocently because he was a friend and donor. However, if this story and others are true, it is a problem.
I agree with you that we should not allow these actions. However, "slightly wrong" if the list is not clear and existing before the action was done, could lead to targeting people for partisan, political reasons.
cstanleytech
(26,291 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Last edited Thu Feb 7, 2013, 08:41 AM - Edit history (1)
I suppose it's possible the pending appeal will show doc is not at fault - the rules aren't always clear. In which case, I suppose it's good someone went to bat for him. Right now, it doesn't sound good for either one.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)and why and how the information is coming out now.
DJ13
(23,671 posts)We no longer have real representatives, all we have left are second rate actors who couldnt even get a job on a soap opera.
that comment? Love it.
Thanks.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Whether it be financial dealings or something to do with a prostitute or a mistress.
Psephos
(8,032 posts)The problem is not the prostitutes. The problem is influence peddling, and there are some other nervous senators who would rather not have Dr. Melgen's connections investigated any further.
The Magistrate
(95,247 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)congress person and they contact the agency. Is it wrong if one of those congress persons is my friend?
alp227
(32,025 posts)So it is controversial because Menendez may be trying to abuse his power beyond constituent services...and the doctor lives in another state!