A Washington Heights doctor faces up to 15 years in prison for allegedly running a $700,000 scam in which he falsely diagnosed his patients with HIV in order to fraudulently bill Medicaid. Suresh Hemrajani, 57, was arraigned today on felony charges of grand larceny, fraud and falsifying business records. According to Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, Hemrajani would immediately prescribe medications for the patients on their very first visits, and send the bill to Medicaid. The investigation is still ongoing, but prosecutors believe that the patients participated willingly in the scam. more ›

Yesterday, the feds accused the city of committing Medicaid fraud, by improperly approving 24-hour home care for thousands of poor, elderly and disabled patients, often without the approval of doctors. They were tipped off to the alleged fraud by whistleblower Dr. Gabriel Feldman, a 49-year-old Upper West Sider, who was contracted by the city to make patient treatment recommendations. And depending on the outcome of the case, Feldman stands to make millions from the settlement. more ›

Today is quickly shaping up to be inverse day: people are annoyed that Bloomberg did such an efficient job cleaning up the snow, Sarah Palin and her manga bangs tried to convice us she was a victim too, and to top it off, the federal government is suing NYC for providing too much care for the poor, elderly and disabled. more ›

The Brooklyn couple charged with scamming $59,000 out of Medicaid while having over $2 million in the bank may also have been sleazy landlords. Ariel Soudry and his father, Abraham, are currently suspected of overcharging renters at eight LES apartments. Gothamist commenter HughGass claims Soudry was his former landlord and calls him "a real piece of $hit. This is his scam real estate company that rents out rent stabilized units in his father's building (maybe grandfather's) at illegally inflated market rents. If you had a dispute with him over something stupid he'd go to the basement and turn off your power." Another anonymous source told the Daily News the same thing. more ›

Brooklyn residents Ariel and Joyce Soudry were found to be among 32 welfare cheaters in a recent crackdown, allegedly claiming benefits while holding up to $2 million in seven different bank accounts. The couple was arraigned yesterday on charges of welfare fraud and grand larceny, and appeared remorseless on their way into court—according to the Daily News, Ariel Soudry barked at the paparazzi: "Lowlifes—get a real job!" more ›

For two days now the Post has reported on street hawkers who lure Meidcaid recipients to dental clinics, offering cash payments to don the bib—today it turned its focus to the allegedly fraudulent doctors. Billing Medicaid $29 for oral exams, $58 for teeth X-rays, $58 for cleanings and $14 for fluoride treatments, dentists pay the patients around $15-20 per visit, and usually give the shills $10 per person they bring in. more ›

Reporters at the Post have uncovered yet another incidence of a potential Medicaid scam in which Harlem hustlers herd patients to dental offices, offering them small cash payments to get teeth cleanings or denture work. This time a 27-year-old street seller named Jose, who works with crew of five to seven others was ready, even eager, to chat. "I know this is a multimillion-dollar thing we're doing out here, and it's bad," he said. "Yes, [the dentists] know it's illegal. They don't care. They bill [Medicaid] $300 to $350 [for each person]. more ›

A teeth-cleaning by a third-year dental student at NYU costs $60, but in Harlem and the Bronx dentists will pay you to open wide—if you're on Medicaid that is. The Post reported today on how dental offices lure in low-income patients offering 20 bucks cash for those who undergo a teeth cleaning and 40 for partial denture work. "There's a white van around the corner by the Salvation Army ready to take you and bring you right back," said one hawker who works the streets for a Bronx clinic. According to Medicaid officials offering to pay patients "is illegal and a sign of fraud." more ›

Gov. Paterson now projects the deficit for the coming year at $8.2 billion, that's up $750 million from the figure he named in his budget. According to the budget division, low tax revenues from the banks are to blame. "We know that big guys typically pay us at the end of January,” said Robert L. Megna, the state budget director, referring to large banks like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. “Last week, after the budget came out, they didn’t pay us.” Typical. more ›

If that depressing article in the Sunday Times about Americans living on nothing but food stamps bummed you out, here's a silver lining: This month the indigent also qualify for Jewish comedy. The Jewish Theater of New York announced today that anyone on food stamps or Medicaid can see its upcoming production for just $5. (Full-price tickets cost $50.) Wait, it gets better—this play sounds genius. It's called Press 93 For Kosher Jewish Girls In Krakow, and the troupe describes it as "a modern play about smartphones in the ultra-Orthodox community and how rabbis use advanced technology to repress their followers' most intimate thoughts and desires." more ›

NY1 reports that State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found "New York State has lost nearly $100 million in billing errors and waste in Medicaid. Among the mistakes auditors discovered was nearly $3 million in overpayments, including payments for services such as tooth cleaning for toothless patients. Another audit found the state Department of Health spent $28 million on Medicaid payments for residents of other states." And we wonder why we're in a budget crisis! more ›

The Post is ready for its readers to be outraged with an "Exclusive" on how some people abuse 911, the city ambulances and emergency rooms. Example one is "Ricky Alardo, a homeless alcoholic nicknamed Ricky Ricardo" who "swigs cheap vodka by day at his favorite corner in Washington Heights, then calls an ambulance to chauffeur him to the hospital for a free meal and a warm place to sleep, courtesy of taxpayers who fund his Medicaid benefits." (More details here.) He calls 911 "four or five times a week," which works out to $300,000 a year—or $3.9 million over the 13 years he's been running the scam. Alardo proudly says the medics "treat me like a king"—the Post explains,"By law, EMS workers cannot refuse to treat or transport any patient. And ERs have to at least evaluate and stabilize homeless patients." One medic said, "It's not always easy to pick up these guys and take them in. But our policy is: 'You call, we haul.' We have no other choice," while another admits, "When Ricky passes on, I'll probably even go to his funeral. I've seen him almost every day for the last 13 years." more ›