SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

Alexander McCray alleges he routinely would visit the medical center in the Miami suburb in order to collect funds in exchange for allowing the facility to claim medical procedures that never took place to the insurance program under his name, The Miami Herald said Monday.

Particularly troubling to officials is that such alleged illicit dealings occasionally include Medicare claims for HIV infusion therapy, a procedure that has essentially been replaced everywhere in the nation but South Florida, the report said.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are paid out for such outdated procedures, and Kirk Ogrosk of the Department of Justice says patients are typically the worst offenders in such scams.

"Far and away, the largest number of individuals committing Medicare fraud are the patients", the deputy chief of the fraud section said.

The Herald said Ogrosk has called for increased legal action in order to stop such illicit dealings from continuing.

"The department must prosecute patients in order to stop the demand for kickbacks", he said at a May conference.

 BREAKING STORIES

Boeing workers angry at strike delay

Canadians snap up U.S. homes

Family fights over woman's life support

Woman tried for sale of goggles to Iran

City's 'trash talk' ban leads to lawsuit

Yankees Bats Cushion Win No. 17 for Mussina

Biden: Children not campaign fodder

Hanna Targets Bahamas, Cuba, Florida

Thawing permafrost may hike global warming

Bullies can enjoy high social status

Williams Receives Contract Extension

Depp plays guitar for benefit concert

NASA chief: Can shuttle fly after 2010?

Mets Edge the Marlins

TNT pays tolls to promote new series

Fla. wildlife seeks high ground after Fay

Florida man fatally bitten by fire ants

NASA delays Atlantis move to launch pad

Surfer bitten by shark in Fla.

Republican nominates Obama at DNC