\ 'Q die Chiropractic Seen As Solution to Rising Health Care Cost MICHIGAN: The growing influence of chiropractic on the state of Michigan was proved when legislators requested the Michigan Chiropractic Association's (MCA) input on the state's rocketing health care cost. The Preventive and Wellness Sub-committee of the House Health Policy Committee was intrigued by the association's partnership with Michigan Department of Commerce to reduce workplace accident cost through their WorkSafe program. Michigan Chiropractic Association member doctors, in recent years, have developed accident prevention methods through improving musculoskeletal function in the workplace-Over 3,500 employees from across the state have benefited from the program. "Our testimony was a rare occasion in the capital," said Dr. Ken Hughes, MCA President. "For one of the first times Michigan chiropractors were seen by legislators as a solution to reducing health care cost." MCA Consultant, Joe Ross, and MCA President, Dr. Ken Hughes, were asked by the Michigan House of Representatives to testify on behalf of the Michigan Chiropractic Association on the positive effects the association is having on health care. Through the MCA's WorkSafe program, improving musculoskeletal function in the workplace is being addressed across the state to help lower health care costs in Michigan. Chiropractors Indicted PENNSYLVANIA: Three Philadelphia chiropractors and an employee have been charged with cheating insurance companies out of more than $3 million. William S. Matura was indicted in early November on charges of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, obstruction of a criminal investigation and healthcare fraud. According to the indictment, Matura hired "runners" to alert him of people supposedly injured in accidents, then instructed his office to create false hills and records for them. The indictment also alleges that a fellow chiropractor, Richard Capacio, prepared thousands of dollars in bills for treatment he provided to Matura after a 1996 auto accident. Capacio, who worked for Matura at two clinics, submitted the bills, totaling $5,576 for 38 treatments, under the name "Erie Chiropractic Center" to hide his professional relationship with Matura, according to the indictment. Capacio was charged along with another chiropractor, Lewis Korff, and a clerical worker. Associated Press 9 Arrested in Alleged Auto Insurance Scam Involving Chiropractors CALIFORNIA: Nine people, including an attorney from Oakland, were arrested in late October in an insur- ance fraud scam in which car accident "victims" were funneled to chiropractors for treatment of bogus injuries. An undercover investigation allegedly found Ellen Nguyen, the owner and office manager of a San Jose legal services business, was paying a San Jose auto body shop worker to refer people who had been in car accidents to her. Undercover officers referred to Nguyen told her they had not been hurt in their "accidents," but wanted to make some money anyway. Nguyen allegedly referred them to chiropractic clinics for treatment of their feigned injuries, and the chiropractors submitted false medical documents and hills to insurance companies for this bogus treatment. Nguyen and her employees also allegedly coached their clients on what to tell insurance company investigators, and attorney Steven Elias negotiated settlement of the fraudulent insurance claims. Some of these settlements were completed and checks were endorsed without the clients' knowledge. Nguyen stands accused of embezzling money in some cases. Nguyen is charged with nine counts of insurance fraud, three counts of grand theft, one count of forgery and seven counts of unlawful insurance referrals. Her bail was set at $250,000. The body shop worker is charged with one count of unlawful insurance referral and his bail was set at $10,000. Elias is charged with three counts of insurance fraud; his bail was set at $50,000. Chiropractors Linda Phan, Phu Nguyen, Kenneth Nguyen, and Jonathan Lien, all of San Jose, each were charged with three counts of insurance fraud. Bail for each was set at $25,000. Bail for two of Nguyen's office assistants was set at $ 10,000 each. All nine were indicted October 15, by a Santa Clara County grand jury following a year-long investigation. www, insurancejonrnal. com Are you getting it??? Insurance Fraud Just DOESN'T Pay! NEW JERSEY: A former Bergen County chiropractor previously convicted of insurance fraud has pleaded guilty to additional charges, including Health Care Claims Fraud for report-edly billing an insurance company more than $1,200 for chiropractic services that were never provided-Richard Finder pleaded guilty before a Bergen County Supe-rior Court Judge to a criminal accusation which charged Health Care Claims Fraud (2nd degree). A second degree crime ► Pass on the information to warn other D. C. s about events that are really happening to chiropractors. When you see a "yellow page " article in your local, regional, or national newspaper about chiropractic or a fellow chiropractor, fax, e-mail or mail it to us at TAC. For further information,fax: 1-305-716-9212 or seepage 4 for our mailing address. ► carries a penalty of up to ten years in state prison and a maximum fine of $ 150,000. Finder may also face civil insurance fraud fines pursuant to the civil Insurance Fraud Prevention Act. He is slated to be sentenced January 9, 2004. In entering a guilty plea on November 7, Finder reportedly admitted that, from January through August, 2000, he submitted over S1,260 in fraudulent bills to the Cigna Insurance Company for chiropractic treatments that were never rendered. Finder was previously indicted by a State Grand Jury in April, 1998, on insurance fraud-related charges. Specifically, he was charged with theft by deception for reportedly submitting more than $42,000 in fraudulent hillings to eleven insurance compa- nies* Finder pled guilty in November 1998, and is reported to have admitted that he submitted fraudulent hillings which included bills for chiropractic claims covering visits that never occurred; double hilling patients' insurers; billing insurers using false patient names; and hilling for treatments occurring before a patient's initial visit. He was sentenced on January 8,1999, to three years probation, ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution and to pay a $20,000 civil insurance fraud fine. Finder's chiropractic license was suspended for a period of three years with six months of active suspension in April, 1999, by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. On December 5,2002, Finder's chiropractic license was revoked for violating the April, 1999. order. www. insnrancejournal.com Life University to Sell Campus Property to State School GEORGIA: LifeJJniY^railyxfficialsJta^ S30.7 million debt by selling most of its Marietta campus to Southern Polytechnic State University. Southern Polytech president. Lisa Rossbacher, told the state Board of Regents Tuesday that her university's foundation plans to purchase the property by June. "This would address our critical space needs and support our neighboring institution," Rossbacher said later. Southern Polytechnic, which has about 4,000 students, plans to use the Life property for laboratories, classrooms, recreation facilities and student housing. The Life campus was appraised at $52 million last year. It is just south of Southern Polytechnic. Life, with 1T100 students, plans to lease back about half of the property, including the classroom buildings, to continue its academic programs, said Charles Rihley, chairman of the school's board of trustees. Associated Press Western States Chiropractic College to Celebrate 100th Birthday OREGON: Western States Chiropractic College (WSCS), located in Portland, Oregon, will celehrate its Centennial in 2004 with a series of activities scheduled for the latter half of the year. The college's Centennial Celebration will take place June 5, 2004, at the Embassy Suites Hotel near the Portland airport, and will be attended by the local community along with other leaders in chiropractic from around the world. Chiropractic education was introduced in Portland, Oregon, in 1904, when Drs. John and Eva Marsh opened Marshes' School and Cure, and in 1909 incorporated the school, changing its name to Pacific College of Chiropractic. In 1911, the college merged with the D.D. Palmer College of Chiropractic. At that time, human dissection was first placed on the curriculum of the school. In 1932, Pacific Chiropractic College was reorganized and became Western States College. Five years later, the Health Research Foundation was formed as a non-profit organization under which Western States College operated. The College also offered a degree in naturopathy from the mid-thirties through the mid-fifties. The College relocated to southeast Portland in 1946, and then, in 1973, moved to its current 22-acre campus in northeast Portland. The school changed its name to Western States Chiropractic College in 1967. WSCC has pioneered many facets of chiropractic education. Did you know...It was the first to set up a four-year course of study; the first to be transferred from private ownership to non-profit status; the first to require two years of pre-profes-sional requirements to enroll; one of the first to adopt a curriculum inclusive of all the basic sciences; and the first to be awarded a federal research grant by HRSA (the Health Resources & Services Administration—a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Western States Chiropractic College, is the only college of chiropractic in the Pacific Northwest. WSCC curriculum focuses on evidence-based patient care. Of the sixteen chiropractic colleges in the United States, WSCC's graduates consistently lead the profession in performance on national hoard examinations. For information about Western States Chiropractic College, please visit the college web site at www.wschiro.edu or call 1-800-641-5641. EH Pass on the information to warn other D. C. 's about events that are really happening to chiropractors. When you see a "yellow page " article in your local, regional, or national newspaper about chiropractic or a fellow chiropractor, fax, e-mail or mail it to us at TAC. For further information, fax: 1 -305- 716-9212 or see page 4 for our mailing address.
