Haaaaaaappy Friday dear readers!  Here we are again, rounding out another week with Saturday and Sunday beckoning us on.  But I would be doing a grave injustice to my elite and selective readership if I let you start the weekend without somewhat good news.

Do you have any bills or liens from Dr. Amir Friedman or New Age Pharmaceuticals, Inc.?  EAMS shows about 29 liens for Dr. Friedman listed.  Anywho, CBS Los Angeles reports that Dr. Friedman has been sentenced for bribery charges.  The prosecution had alleged that he accepted “$788,140 in bribes and kickbacks in a conspiracy to defraud insurance companies.” The sentence is 14 months in prison.

Another example of compound drug fraud in California workers’ compensation system.

So one more fraudster caught and prosecuted, which is great, but if there’s documentation of almost $800k in fraud paid to Dr. Friedman, how much more money was stolen from insurance companies, and, by extension, the businesses they insured?

Often enough, we on the defense side of the community have to hear the petulant tirades of representatives for lien claimants and injured workers about how the evil insurance companies, what with their bill review, utilization review, and medical provider networks are just trying to deprive injured workers from desperately necessary medical treatment.

How many injured workers was Dr. Friedman helping when he defrauded his victims?  How many honest workers are told there is no money for increased wages when the costs of operating a business are inflated by fraud such as this – fraud that typically goes undetected and unremedied?

Just something to think about over drinks this weekend, dear readers!  And on that cheerful note… see you next week!