Feds Bust Medicare Fraud Ring In Houston Area

HOUSTON—Federal authorities arrested 27 people in Houston Wednesday in a major Medicare fraud bust that spanned across the country.

Medicare fraud raid

Investigators claim the suspects were scamming Medicare by falsely billing for medical items that were not needed or never used.

Arrests were also made in New York, Boston and Louisiana. In all, 32 people were taken into custody.

More than 200 agents worked on Wednesday’s $16 million bust, which included 12 search warrants at health care businesses and homes across the Houston area.

One of those businesses was Memorial Medical Supply on Dairy Ashford and I-10.

Shocked employees were met by federal agents when they arrived at work.

Federal agents raided several locations in Houston after a nationwide investigation into Medicare fraud.
The agents confiscated paperwork and a computer.

They were also seen removing boxes of evidence from the business.

Federal authorities say the businesses were giving patients “arthritis kits,” which were nothing more than expensive orthotics, including knee and shoulder braces. Patients told authorities they were unnecessary, and many never used them. But health care clinic owners billed $3,000 - $4,000 for each kit.

Houston’s other scam involved billing Medicare for thousands of dollars worth of liquid food for patients who can’t eat solids. Authorities said clinic owners never distributed the food to patients. In some cases, clinic owners billed patients who were dead when they allegedly received the items.

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Humble resident patrols the lake for the sherifs office East Montgomery News Houston Community Newspapers Online - News Around Town

Humble resident patrols the lake for the sherif's office East Montgomery News Houston Community Newspapers Online - News Around Town

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Awareness, support drives Kingwood family after son diagnosed with disease

By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 07.08.09
Melanie McTaggart first noticed something was not right with her son, Grant, when his stomach became bloated and hard.

She mentioned her concerns to her husband, David, and it was not until they were in Waco visiting his parents that they decided to take him in to the hospital to get checked out.

“In my mind, I knew there was something wrong. We were thinking it could be gas or appendicitis, we were not very sure,” Melanie said.

The nurses at the hospital in Waco took Grant’s blood and they began to notice irregularities. Grant was anemic and his blood platelet levels were extremely low.

They did several x-rays and noticed his spleen was enlarged so they recommended the McTaggarts go to Cook Children’s Center for an official diagnosis.

“Since we live in Kingwood, we talked with the doctors about transferring him to Texas Children’s Hospital,” Melanie said. “They agreed and transported Grant and I to Texas Children’s Hospital from Waco in an ambulance.”

Grant was officially diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia May 24.

“When they told us Grant had the Philadelphia chromosome, that was the worst news we could receive,” Melanie said. “After we were released that Friday, Grant’s doctor, Dr. ZoAnn Dreyer, called us and shared a report they released a medicine to treat Grant’s specific disease and the survival rate was close to 85 percent.”

Doctors placed Grant on several different medications including a steroid which has affected the way some of Grant’s muscles have developed and he begins chemotherapy treatment starting on his third birthday July 10.

The community, friends and family have stepped forward to help the McTaggarts by organizing blood drives in honor of Grant and others who are need of blood.

The first blood drive will be held July 10 at the Humble Civic Center and the second one will be July 17 at Texas Contract Carpet in Houston.

“The support we have received from the community is amazing. Since I graduated from Kingwood High School in 1995, we have been contacted by former classmates and teachers, former college classmates and other moms throughout the area who have read my blog and have been through what we are going through,” Melanie said. “Kingwood is big in some ways and small in others. Words cannot express how thankful we are for the support we have received.”

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Local artist brings trees back to life

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Humble Observer

By MEGAN KEYHO
Updated: 07.08.09
David Chambers, of Humble, began making works of art out of storm-ravaged trees a few years ago. Chambers is an artist who has done custom tiles, mosaics, emblems and other custom works.

“I plan on moving forward with this,” Chambers said. “I am making my mark on the world. This is a passion of mine; the trees are calling.”

He said every time he drives around he is constantly looking for new trees that he can hand carve into a work of art, but he also takes personal requests for people and businesses.

“Just recently I saw a tree down the road that looks like a giraffe,” he said. “It’s a half and half thing. I always look for trees but sometimes they will come to me.”

Chambers began carving when he went to work for a friend in Kingwood and started carving tiki poles. He said he has always been into nature, starting out when he was a Boy Scout as a child.

Chambers uses a chainsaw and two grinders to carve his trees and stands on a ladder for five or six hours at a time hand carving every detail of his piece.

He said it usually takes him 72 hours to finish carving a tree, which is spread out over two weeks.

He is currently working on getting a website put up where he can be contacted for requests and more information.