Oklahoma senate candidate is accused of fraud

[Cocoa]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A21673-2004Sep14?language=printer

TULSA, Sept. 14 -- One of the most competitive Senate races in the country turned nasty this week, as former GOP congressman and obstetrician Tom Coburn has had to respond to published reports that he committed Medicaid fraud 14 years ago.

The allegation stems from a medical malpractice suit brought by a 20-year-old woman who said that Coburn, without her permission, removed one of her fallopian tubes, which left her sterilized. The case never went to trial, but court documents first reported this week by Salon.com show that Coburn withheld information about the sterilization in submitting a bill to Medicaid for a related procedure involving a troubled pregnancy because the Medicaid program does not cover the sterilization of anyone younger than 21. Coburn said he withheld the information to ensure the woman was reimbursed for the cost of removing the other fallopian tube in which a fetus was lodged.

<snip>

Coburn has advocated the death penalty for abortionists, and said the state was not attracting business because of some undefined "crapheads" blocking it in Oklahoma City.


<snip>

Coburn conceded in his deposition that he sterilized the woman without her written consent, but said on Tuesday and in his deposition that she had previously repeatedly asked him to tie her tubes. The fraud allegation raised by Salon relates to how Coburn filed the procedure for a Medicaid reimbursement, in light of the Medicaid stricture against paying for the sterilization of patients younger than 21.

more...

[Wickerman]

1. Sounds like he was only one of Bush's OBGYN's practicing his "love"

Not to minimize - that is horrid. And beyond hypocritical.

[AlCzervik]

2. It sounds like she had an etopic pregnancy

In any event, what else is he withholding?

[snippy]

3. How very republican. n/t

[DarthDem]

4. He's Done

Give us another Senate pickup. Woo-hoo!

[napi21]

5. I don't live in Ok. Is this going to affect his election possibilities?

Whether you believe his statement or not, it's still fraud! Will the people of Ok. give him a pass on that?

[Prodemsouth]

12. From what I understand the Dems have a pretty strong candidate- this

should move things his way. A Dem won governors office last election.

[triguy46]

15. Coburn get a pass?

In OK? Oh I wish we had an educated populace. WIth the love this state has for Inhofe, Coburn is able to do just about anything.
I disagree with most, I think Coburn will win in a walk, even with Carson being a repub in Dem clothing.

[newyawker99]

19. Hi triguy46!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Beetwasher]

6. So He "Killed" A Fetus TOO!!!???

Off with his head!

Hypocrite is not strong enough for this scumbag!

[Tempest]

7. Cheney To Speak At Coburn Fund-Raiser

http://www.channeloklahoma.com/news/3729576/detail.html

Cheney will speak at a $500-per-person fund-raising event for Coburn in Tulsa on Sept. 24. An invitation to the event says a $2,000 donation will allow supporters to attend a reception where they can pose for a photograph with Cheney.


Do you think he'll cancel now?

[plcdude]

8. He has strong backing

here in Oklahoma and this news is not yet widely known so I don't have a feel for it yet. Brad Carson who is opposing him is a very conservative democrat and is advertising himself as one. I think it is a good strategy and I suspect that he is not as narrow-minded as his campaign propaganda portrays him. So far the local news stations have not run this story but that is not surprising considering that they are all very conservative. We just have to wait and see how this impacts us here in Oklahoma.

[Cleopatra2a]

10. Brad Carson

I've watched those Carson ads and I thought he was a Republican, until I read the small print.

[plcdude]

16. yes I can

understand how you could think so.

[Bozita]

9. Time for Frist to show support -- His family's HCA paid a record fine ...

... for Medicare fraud last year. Fine was in the hundreds of millions.

[procopia]

11. Atrios posted this...

Wingnuttery

A doctor who has performed abortions wants there to be the death penalty for those who perform them. He also sterilized a 20 year old woman without her consent, and then illegally billed Medicaid for the procedure. He said "That <"the gay"> agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today." He criticized NBC for showing "Schindler's List," saying that it promoted "irresponsible sexual behavior."

Oh, and he's the Republican candidate for Senate from Oklahoma.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

[triguy46]

13. Issue includes informed consent

In this AM's Tulsa World, there are portions of the deposition that he gave in litigation over this case. He seemed to be saying that since Medicaid would deny his payment for the ectopic if he filed for reimbursement on the tubal too. The woman was advised by Coburn to not say anything to anyone. He states that the then 19 yo asked repeatedly for sterilization. I find it interesting that the hospital's surgical review standards would allow an elective procedure without written informed consent, (this was not an emergency, though the ectopic could have been). It also seems somewhat odd to be sterilizing a 19 year old. He also did not dictate an operative report on the surgery, which again should have been a red flag to any but the most irresponsible hospital oversight functions.

It is also disingenous to state "Coburn said he withheld the information to ensure the woman was reimbursed for the cost of removing the other fallopian tube in which a fetus was lodged." because the hospital and the physician are required to bill Medicaid directly and cannot hold the patient responsible. What he is really saying is that HE would not have been reimbursed.

[MallRat]

14. Carson was already running strong... WOW.

Could anyone have guessed that Oklahoma would be a possible Democratic pickup in the Senate?

-MR

[plcdude]

18. we can only

hope

[WI_DEM]

17. It will be big if the Dems win this seat

it could mean control of the US Senate.

[Pegleg Thd]

20. We live in the town where coburn

Malpractices medicine. I know several of the real Doctors in this area since my wife and I both have severe health problems. Not a single one of those we know have a good thing to say about him. An employee of one clinic told me on the q.t. that if he wouldn't face the death penalty for murder he would imitate kevorkian. He is widely refered to as dr. Death by women in this town.:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: