FBI Declares War on The Scooter Store

By Hum
in Real World News

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Grand Master

Hum

Posted
Posted

Approximately 150 federal and state law enforcement agents launched a massive raid on one of the biggest perpetrators of government fraud in America: The Scooter Store. Yes, that's right. The nation's largest provider of single-person electric vehicles and power chairs is the target of a federal investigation, probably because many of the people who ride around their "personal mobility devices" don't actually need them.

In January, CBS This Morning ran a cutting expos? on the company, detailing how it "railroads" doctors into prescribing the chair for their patients, most of whom are on Medicare or Medicaid. That way they can bill the government for their highly dubious medical device, while the patient gets a cool new scooter without paying for it, and The Scooter Store makes a nice profit. Doctors and former employees told CBS that the company would harass physicians with non-stop phone calls and offices drop-ins in order to wear them down. The company even has a special department devoted to getting chairs for patients who had already been ruled ineligible by Medicare. No doubt the pressure comes because their ads guarantee that the chair will be free if they can't get you qualified.

The Scooter Store is so good at getting the chairs that a government audit found that they had overbilled Medicare by over $100 million between 2009-2012. It's no wonder their ads brag that "No other company will work harder to make you mobile."

FBI agents would not provide details on any crimes or possible charges behind the search warrant, but 1,200 employees of the company were escorted from the headquarters in New Braunfels, Texas, on Wednesday, and were not allowed back into today, as investigators continue to dig for clues.

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Grand Master

Rohdekill

Posted
Posted

Perhaps they should be doing it like the pharmaceutical companies - place doctors on your staff to push your product and push medicare into providing it. The only difference I see is the doctors are missing out on their share of the cut in this case, which is probably what triggered the investigation.

Grand Master

Praetor

Posted
Posted

Never understood how is it normal for healthy people to ride on mobile scooters for shopping (is it laziness? i dunno) and overweight folks getting a scooter instead of exercise; i mean in my country is someone is overweight and has health problems normally the doctors prescribe healthy exercise and healthy food, promoting a more healthier lifestyle. Now it seems this dodgy company harassed physicians and committed fraud big time.

doesn't people like to use their legs anymore?

Grand Master

neufuse Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Never understood how is it normal for healthy people to ride on mobile scooters for shopping (is it laziness? i dunno) and overweight folks getting a scooter instead of exercise; i mean in my country is someone is overweight and has health problems normally the doctors prescribe healthy exercise and healthy food, promoting a more healthier lifestyle. Now it seems this dodgy company harassed physicians and committed fraud big time.

doesn't people like to use their legs anymore?

I wish places like walmart wouldn't have scooters in store for people... if you need one you probably have one! they just turn into a bunch of lazy people riding them, or teens goofing off with them.....

Community Regular

alphamale

Posted
Posted

They could make those walmarts smaller so us one legged people dont have so much trouble fetching our stuff. skinny people usually try and kick my wooden leg as i hobble by. but i am quick. i guess hoping i will fall down. damn the scooter store. thank the lord the fbi loves us.

Grand Master

DocM

Posted
Posted

LONG OVERDUE!!

There are a whole lot of people who really need a scooter but can't get one because these frauds soak up the allocated funds, and they cause insurers, Medicare etc. to be hyper-vigilant. Hopefully the baby doesn't go out with the bath water.

Grand Master

FloatingFatMan

Posted
Posted

Scooters should not be just handed out willy nilly to obese people. I'm obese, and I will flat out NOT use a scooter! Never mind the severe back pain I get, if I had a scooter, I'd lose the last excuse I have to get ANY exercise at all, and end up looking like a beached whale. Besides, if I did resort to one, it's just admitting to the world, and myself, that I've given up.

Scooters should be reserved for people who have actual problems with their mobility beyond fattitude, not fat slobs who are too damn lazy to move their asses.

Grand Master

DocM

Posted
Posted

^ Example being a neighbor who has an amputation but has trouble with the pressure of his prosthetic limb socket breaking down his skin if used regularly. A scooter allows him to go to the neighborhood market, city facilities etc. and just bear weight when he has to. Many other examples, of course.

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