Re: Gwynne/02 saga; Lincare

[Guest guest]

I searched through groups I could find and generally found very few issues of patients with Lincare, at least a very small percentage and relatively minor compared to Apria. Their BBB record supports that as well.

Now, it does seem Lincare has concentrated their efforts more in the past on illegal activity than on mistreating patients. They did agree to the largest civil penalty ever with the Office of Inspector General.

Office of Inspector General

330 Independence Ave., SW

For Immediate Release Washington, D.C. 20201

May 15, 2006

OIG SETTLES LARGEST EVER CIVIL MONETARY PENALTY CASE

Lincare Pays $10 Million and Signs 5-Year CIA

To Resolve Allegations of Kickbacks and Self-Referral Violations

Washington, D.C. – Today Health and Human Services Inspector General R.

Levinson announced that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has entered into a Settlement Agreement and Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with Lincare Holdings Inc. and its subsidiary Lincare Inc. (Lincare). The settlement resolves allegations that Lincare paid illegal kickbacks and violated the Physician Self-Referral (also known as Stark) Law. Under the settlement terms, Lincare, one of the nation's largest durable medical equipment suppliers, paid $10 million and entered into a 5-year company-wide CIA (Corporate Integrity Agreement). Today's settlement is the largest ever for OIG under its civil monetary penalty authorities.

OIG alleged that Lincare engaged in a nationwide scheme to pay physicians kickbacks to refer their patients to Lincare. Lincare gave referring physicians items such as sporting and entertainment tickets, gift certificates, rounds of golf, golf equipment, fishing trips, meals, advertising expenses, office equipment, and medical equipment. The illegal kickbacks also came disguised as payments pursuant to purported consulting agreements, such as Medical Director Agreements. OIG also alleged that Lincare violated the Self-Referral Law by accepting referrals from parties to the illegal consulting agreements.

In addition, at the same time they settled for $2 million with the Justice Department relative to Medicare billings.

Now note these items are about two years old and involve no allegations regarding patient care.

> >> > Hi All,> > The rep for Caire products (Liberator, Stroller portables,> > etc.) talked with the branch mgr. and CEO of the local> > 02 supplier who hasn't called me back (which was just> > bought out by another company called Rotech). They told> > him they don't think they have the "manpower" to handle> > me as a client. The rep is going to continue to help me -> > he's a really nice guy - but he thinks I may end up having> > to go with Lincare or Apria. After everything you all have> > written about them, that horrifies me. But I'll do what I> > have to do to get my oxygen needs met. It's just distressing,> > because I need the equipment yesterday.> > > > Kathie,> > Phooey on the coughing. I'm doing quite a bit of it> > myself, and it hurts and is so exhausting. I hope you> > get relief soon!> > > > Kerry,> > I LOVE Super O! She's awesome, just like her inspiration> > and her creator.> > > > Beth,> > Great news about not having PAH. I'm thrilled that you> > don't have that on top of everything else. Give me an "S"> > (for stable)! Hopefully the other lurking issue won't cause> > many problems, at least not for a very long time.> > > > Jane,> > I hope Emory calls you soon with the go-ahead for the> > STEP Trial. Hope you're having a good weekend.> > > > Bruce,> > Rest up, please. You've been quite the busy bee. If we've> > waited this long, we can wait a bit longer for your wordy> > pearls. :-) I'm sorry you're having increased 02 needs.> > > > Z,> > I hope you're feeling a bit steadier. How fast are these> > exercises supposed to offer you potential relief? Wall> > hugging is no fun.> > I hope 's having better days.> > > > K,> > I have a wonderful local pulmo here in Ft. Worth, in> > addition to my transplant pulmo at UTSW in Dallas.> > The local doc suggested to me once to view life in> > terms of seasons rather than years. For me, living> > through another season (any season) is a real gift.> > Currently, I have definite plans to make through the> > spring and its beauty.> > > > Mama-Sher,> > There is a specific type of PF that is contracted by> > people who raise and handle birds. yuk.> > Sher, as a sort of answer to your "end stage"> > questions, my best answer is not to trouble yourself> > with such things. P (I think) posted the medical> > definition of end stage IPF. It's a list, but that's all it> > is. My docs want desperately to get a lung for me,> > but when I asked them if I were in end stage they> > said you've been there for a year and a half, but> > you're pretty stable. At ANY stage stable is good. At> > ANY stage you can plateau out and stay at that stage> > for an indefinite time. It's just not good to live in> > denial, especially to the point that you can't prepare> > for the next steps, which has served me well... I'm> > talking about things like higher flow portables, power> > chairs, stair chairs, etc. I got them all just a little bit> > before I was convinced I needed them, and then realized> > I SO needed them.> > As far as how you feel in end stage, you can definitely> > just tell that you're worse, and you realize that you> > could get much worse in a short time. It's an insidious> > thing, but you realize how much you've had to give up> > in the last year or even the last few months. For me, it's> > the sob and drop in sats at the least little thing. It's> > the fact that my 2 liquid reservoirs that total 12L are> > not doing the trick with exertion. I need my 15L portables,> > and they're getting less effective too. It's the coughing> > that accompanies any drop in sats, the chest burning,> > and the overall feeling of being a sick woman, even when> > I'm out doing something I love to do and planned for.> > Before, I felt healthy except for sob. I don't feel healthy> > any more. I still clean up pretty well, but the unfancified> > me can scare me when I look into my own eyes in a> > mirror. Sometimes I worry about fainting, about dying> > in my sleep, about choking when no one's here, about> > my children, etc.> > I don't feel like I'm dying today, which is a gift, but I> > have no illusions about my health status. My chief> > goal and prayer in life is to make it to transplant. And> > yet I don't jump every time the phone rings - at all.> > Hopefully we don't live any differently in terms of> > attitude no matter what our stage of disease. Hopefully,> > we try to get the most joy we can out of life, taking> > care of ourselves in whatever ways we can. We> > appreciate the good days. If we're lucky we feel the> > peace of a loving God who comforts us. We can rest> > knowing that, whatever the outcome, we'll be okay.> > We're all dying, even those who don't have a disease.> > We just happen to have a kick-in-the-butt daily> > reminder to treasure the gift and to walk with God,> > which is actually a blessing.> > > > Hugs and blessings,> > Gwynne 56 IPF 7/04 listed for transplant 3/07 and> > 2/08 (2 centers) Texas> >>