by Paul Craig Roberts, Paul Craig Roberts:
We are constantly told we cannot afford Social Security and Medicare. Fighting Russia in Ukraine is more important than the survivability of the American population.
I doubt anything can wake up the ignorant insouciant American population, but perhaps the Biden regime’s rip-off of Medicare in the interest of Big Pharma profits can introduce some reality into American consciousness.
Recently I have had physical therapy for a shoulder injury hoping to avoid an operation and received two Medicare “summary notices” setting out the charges and payments. Incidentally, Medicare cost me annually five to ten times more in Medicare taxes than I receive in Medicare payments to providers. This is because I am still working despite being well passed retirement age and am subject to the Medicate tax on income. Then there is the surcharge for Medicare part B that is income based, and then there is the cost of the private supplement to Medicare as Medicare never pays the full cost of the bill. On me, Medicare makes a large annual profit.
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To get back to the subject: I noticed on my Medicare summary statement a charge of $96 dollars paid by Medicare for a March 23, 2023 billing by Mars Lab Services Inc, in Chicago Illinois for “provision of covid-19 test, nonprescription self-administered and self-collected use, fad approved, (K1034).” I was expecting no such tests. None of my doctors had ordered such tests, and shortly afterwards a package of 8 tests appeared in my mail.
Apparently 8 tests were not enough. Medicare paid $96 to Covigen Medtox Lab Inc. in Linden NJ for a May 2, 2023 billing of “provision of covid-19 test, nonprescription self-administered and self-collected use, fad approved, (K1034).”
I now have 16 tests at Medicare’s expense for which I have no use. All of the tests came with expired dates, but with a notice that the FDA had conveniently extended the shelf-life of the expiration date.
Initially, I suspected fraud based on a previous experience (more below) and reported to an uninterested Medicare fraud division the mysterious receipt of covid tests. However the second batch of tests came with a note that said “tests are totally free, paid for by the Government,” and “please do not return.”
Free to me but not to Medicare.
Why is Medicare paying for expired covid tests to be sent to those on Medicare? Is the Biden regime using scarce Medicare funds to buy up Big Pharma’s surplus covid supplies? What else could it be? Am I going to catch Covid 16 times? How many tests will arrive on my next Medicare summary statement?
My suspicion of fraud or perhaps just a mistake of some sort was aroused by an earlier Medicare summary notice that reported that my Medicare account had been charged $1,994 for a billing from Alexandria DME, in Alexandria KY, Ordered by Edgar Bustamante for 8 monthly shipments to me beginning July 14, 2022 and ending February 13, 2023 for “1 supply allowance for non-adjunctive, non-implanted continuous glucose monitor (cgm) includes all su (A4239-KFKXCG). 1 non-adjunctive, non-implanted continues glucose monitor or receiver (E2103-KFNUKXCG).”
None of my doctors ordered this for me. I never received these items. My glucose has never been monitored. I don’t know who Edgar Bustamante is. I reported this as possible fraud. It took about two hours to convince Medicare that I wasn’t forgetful or senile. I have never heard from Medicare any explanation for why $1994 was charged to my Medicare account, leaving me with an amount “you may be billed,” which means my Medicare supplement, AARP, of $508.64.
Someone needs to investigate why Medicare is paying for expired covid products to be sent to those on Medicare. Is this a Biden regime payoff to Big Pharma? But who is to investigate? CNN? NPR? The New York Times? It will never happen.
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