106 NY police officers/firefighters charged in disability fraud

[shabby]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/n...-security-scheme.html?hpw&rref=nyregion&_r=1&

They had been coached on how to fail memory tests, feign panic attacks and, if they had worked during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, to talk about their fear of airplanes and entering skyscrapers, prosecutors said. And they were told to make it clear they could not leave the house, much less find a job.
...
But their Facebook pages told investigators a starkly different story, according to an indictment and other court papers.
...
a scheme stretching back to 1988 in which as many as 1,000 people — many of them officers and firefighters already collecting pensions from the city — bilked the federal government out of an estimated $400 million.

Lol foiled by facebook, its good for something after all.

 

[Nebor]

It's happening on a pretty massive scale with Veteran's Affairs disability too. Everyone knows how to fake the TBI (Traumatic brain injury) and PTSD tests, and tons of people are getting medically retired or drawing extra disability pay in retirement as a result.

I'm not saying that there aren't some people legitimately injured from their service, but there are a lot of people getting over too.

 

[Slew Foot]

Disability fraud? Half the people on disabaility arent disabled.

 

[unokitty]

Meet The Disability-Industrial-Complex: Up To 45% On Disability Insurance Are Frauds

If the American public knew what was going on in our system, half would be outraged and the other half would apply for benefits.
- Marilyn Zahm, one of the 1,500 disability judges operating in the U.S.

...Conn collected more than $13 million in legal fees from the federal government over the past six years and that he paid five doctors roughly $2 million to regularly sign off on bogus medical forms that had been manufactured and filled out ahead of time by Conn’s staff.

... Federal Disability Insurance Program, which could become the first government benefits program to run out of money. When it began back in the 1950s it was envisioned as a small program to assist people who were unable to work because of illness or injury.

Today, it serves nearly 12 million people — up 20 percent in the last six years — and has a budget of $135 billion. That’s more than the government spent last year on the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and the Labor Department combined. It’s been called a “secret welfare system” with it’s own “disability industrial complex,” a system ravaged by waste and fraud.

Isn't it obvious that the more of your money that a politician gives away, the more that that politician benefits?

Uno

 

[waggy]

Disability fraud? Half the people on disabaility arent disabled.

wouldn't surprise me. The bad part about it is its causing those that are really disabled to wait years to receive benefits. They get denied until they go to a attornye. this is when it pays to go to a sleazball too.

I mentioned in another thread how i help disabled sign up. you would be shocked how any are just faking it. I refuse to help those.

one time I took a guy to get a medical exam for SSDI. we were sitting in the waiting room with another guy. he was on the phone talking about a party then about how he just got done playing 2 hours of basketball etc.

When his name was called he got up and acted like he could bearly walk into the office.



Unokitty oh yeah him. fuck him. he will get ANYONE SSDI no matter what shape you are in. he can get you doctor's reports and such saying you are disabled.

it pisses me off. i see people who are really disabled struggling to survive and get denied time and time again. then jump through hoops for YEARS to get benefits they deserve and some jackass like Conn is able to push through thousands of healthy people onto SSDI ugyh.

 

[Oldgamer]

I am going to reserve judgement on this. Only because I help take care of a family member who is disabled. Psychiatric illnesses are not something someone can see, like someone who is in a wheelchair. In addition PTSD and depression comes in waves. A person may be fine for weeks, and then plummet into depression soon after. I am all for going after people who are faking disability claims, but I am cautious on a witch hunt for those that really are disabled.

It is tough try to get our loved one out of the house. We try to encourage them to go do things with us, and participate in life, to help with depression that comes with their issues. You don't want a person with a serious psychiatric illness to just sit inside and do nothing. They need to stay active and be among people, and not retreat from the world.

Anyway, I will wait and see how this pans out. The news media is well known for sensationalizing and making shit up or slanting things, just to make headlines or get ratings.

 

[TerryMathews]

Guys let's be real here: you can be against disability fraud and not against disability insurance.

These fraudsters hurt the actually disabled, resulting in longer doctor waits, increased waiting periods for benefits, and potentially reduced benefits.

Plus they sour public perception towards all disabled. "Are they really disabled?" Who hasn't thought that seeing someone get out of their car in a handicapped parking spot?

 

[Oldgamer]

Guys let's be real here: you can be against disability fraud and not against disability insurance.

These fraudsters hurt the actually disabled, resulting in longer doctor waits, increased waiting periods for benefits, and potentially reduced benefits.

Plus they sour public perception towards all disabled. "Are they really disabled?" Who hasn't thought that seeing someone get out of their car in a handicapped parking spot?

Right, and remember that a psychiatric disability is not the same as a physical disability. If they have real proof that all these guys were faking a psychiatric illness and experts that can testify to that, then fine go after them. But my concern is that there are some who really are disabled and get caught up in this.

 

[nehalem256]

Guys let's be real here: you can be against disability fraud and not against disability insurance.

These fraudsters hurt the actually disabled, resulting in longer doctor waits, increased waiting periods for benefits, and potentially reduced benefits.

Plus they sour public perception towards all disabled. "Are they really disabled?" Who hasn't thought that seeing someone get out of their car in a handicapped parking spot?

It always seemed to me that the Democrats should be the ones most ardently trying to root out fraud in disability and welfare programs. Its not even about the wasted money. Its about the fact that such fraud undermines public confidence that such programs are doing a public good, which gives Republicans a massive weapon to attack the programs with.

 

[waggy]

Guys let's be real here: you can be against disability fraud and not against disability insurance.

These fraudsters hurt the actually disabled, resulting in longer doctor waits, increased waiting periods for benefits, and potentially reduced benefits.

Plus they sour public perception towards all disabled. "Are they really disabled?" Who hasn't thought that seeing someone get out of their car in a handicapped parking spot?

/this

i will add that you can't always tell who is disabled. I know a few who can't walk more then a few hundred yard without major pain. yet you wouldn't know it when they get out of the vehicle. they are tall and look healthy. yet the damage done to hips/knees puts them in intense pain. sure they walk fine but thats because of years of training.

 

[Jimzz]

It's happening on a pretty massive scale with Veteran's Affairs disability too. Everyone knows how to fake the TBI (Traumatic brain injury) and PTSD tests, and tons of people are getting medically retired or drawing extra disability pay in retirement as a result.

I'm not saying that there aren't some people legitimately injured from their service, but there are a lot of people getting over too.

I was about to say you think the police/FFs are bad look at the military.

I work for the federal Gov and many 30%+ Vets admit their disability is BS but if you want to work for the Fed Gov you have to hit the 30% mark now with so many Vets in the market looking for work. That and Doc's are tired of it so they give up the marks pretty easy to get them out the door.

 

[Nebor]

I was about to say you think the police/FFs are bad look at the military.

I work for the federal Gov and many 30%+ Vets admit their disability is BS but if you want to work for the Fed Gov you have to hit the 30% mark now with so many Vets in the market looking for work. That and Doc's are tired of it so they give up the marks pretty easy to get them out the door.

And the VA reps push push push for people to try for disability. My guy when I was leaving active duty wouldn't take no for an answer. He just kept up, "come on, there must be something wrong with you, anything!"

I think they're trying to to perpetuate the system that they work for, honestly.