Archive for July, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013 | By Scott | No Comments
More than 700 doctors nationwide wrote prescriptions for elderly and disabled patients in highly questionable and potentially harmful ways, according to a critical report of Medicare’s drug programreleased today.
The review by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services flags those doctors as “very extreme” in their prescribing – and says that Medicare should do more to investigate or stop them.
Read More in the ProPublica article by Tracy Weber, Charles Ornstein and Jennifer LaFleur
Wednesday, July 31, 2013 | By Scott | No Comments
Since a fair number of whistleblower cases pop up in the pharmaceutical industry, a recent development concerning a whistleblower and DaVita, the second-largest independent provider of dialysis services in the US, might be of interest. Consider the following….
Along with a nurse, a nephrologist and former medical director named Alon Vainer filed a whistleblower lawsuit in 2007 alleging DaVita deliberately wasted medicine in order to gain hundreds of millions of dollars in extra payments from Medicare.
Read More
Wednesday, July 31, 2013 | By Scott | No Comments
This is from a Patient who was reprimanded for being concerned about a fellow patient – June 9, 2013
Here is what I get for questioning my nurse about her NOT CALLING 911 FOR A PATIENT! Proof that if you are involved with your healthcare they will do anything to get you out! See, how they always start that you have a behavioral problem! My problem is that I asked, “when do you call 911?” I was called into a conference room as I was leaving and handed this document!


Monday, July 29, 2013 | By Scott | No Comments
This is from an e-mail sent on May 07, 2013 – we feel it needs to be reposted on the News page.
It appears that one of our Texas patients is being denied care. His Creatinine is out of limits and are refusing once again to give him dialysis
This is the 3rd blind patient that has been discharged as threats. We have tapes of conversations with the ESRD Networks helping to support a dismissal…..our tax dollars at work.
I am pasting an email to Kent Thiry and CMS…..this Physician I will post his name and see if we can get the recordings of conversations. Hannibal Lector has a better reference.
This man is blind and poses no threat
Subject: Huge amounts of dismissed patients blackballed in Texas
From: <arlene-mullin@dialysisadvocates.com>
Date: Thu, Mar 07, 2013 11:42 am
To: 7 recipients
It appears that a patient in Lewisville Tx has been discharged for going to his doctors office to complain about his personal protected information being told were all patients can hear. The Secretary had started yelling at him and told him to go and wait in the waiting room. She called the police and he was discharged immediately, as she was afraid of a blind man that is 6’1 and weighs 120 lbs. He has cancer.
Davita had discharged him immediately, as the Medical Director had. It appears that one Physician was going to take him, until he talked to Dr. Baker….Hannibal Lector has a better reference. Many rejections and this is so unfair. Were is due justice? Several Rn’s and Social workers have told him to record conversations. They are very interesting, even from the ESRD Networks.
It appears that I have shown you many cases of Davita’s discharges. This is one of the unfairest that I have seen. He has been refused by hospitals in the area. They use the K as the qualifier and his Creatinine is extremely high. It appears that no Nephrologist is seeing him.
The other blind impared patient has been discharged in New York with no where to dialize…His crime also was manufactured.
I have several Texas patients and one is being harassed. He also is blind.
I dont expect anything out of you, as all other emails have been avoided. Out of sight out of mind. I do expect the one patient in Texas to die, as he is being denied care.
If you want the HIPPA form, I will release the information. Shame on you Kent! Shame on you CMMS
Arlene Mullin-Tinker
1-202-567-1616
www.dialysisadvocates.com
As of yet Davita and this Physician continues to scare other Doctors off.
Monday, July 29, 2013 | By Scott | No Comments
Where have the last 6 months gone? Sorry we haven’t been posting enough on the website News, even though our Facebook page has been very busy. For those of you who are not receiving those updates, please go to our page and Like us so you will be able to be informed through multiple channels.
Recently we have added a Discussion Board for private and anonymous posts for patients, family members, and workers to voice their questions, comments, and concerns. It’s very simple to begin, and you can sign-up using a nickname. Go to dialysisadvocates.com/discussions/ to begin.
Weekly we receive e-mails and phone calls from patients and family members concerning facility infractions and intimidation. Please keep them coming, as an individual you have very little power, as we combine our voices, and experiences, we are becoming a force that is exposing corruption and injustice within the Dialysis Industry and the providers themselves.