In other news, the CDC's updated guidelines that say people exposed to the coronavirus don't need to be tested was published by political appointees without the approval of agency scientists.
Meanwhile, payroll tax deferral owed in 2021 and 2022 could cost up to $211 billion even though many companies aren't participating in Trump's program.
Finally, there's a lot going on here and more story to tell, but it looks like that story about unnecessary hysterectomies at ICE may be a story about a doctor billing the government for unnecessary procedures in general, not just hysterectomies. The same doctor at the center of the allegation was previously sued by federal authorities under the Obama administration for falsely billing Medicare and Medicaid.
State corporate records also show [Dr. Mahendra Amin] is the executive of a company that manages Irwin County Hospital.
In 2013, state and federal investigators sued Amin, the hospital authority of Irwin County and a group of other doctors over allegations they falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid.
The lawsuit alleged that nurses at Irwin County Hospital were trained to follow a doctor’s “standing orders” — described as “scripted procedures based on the nurse’s diagnosis.” That meant nurses often decided treatment plans, but they were billed to Medicaid and Medicare as if they doctor did, the lawsuit said.
Investigators linked a standing order to Amin, alleging he required “certain tests always be run on pregnant patients, without any medical evaluation and regardless of her condition.”
The AP's report includes new allegations of other unnecessary procedures the doctor performed. But as long as ICE was paying for all of it, I guess he figured he could help himself. But with that said, these aren't mutually exclusive stories. The procedures could have been a racist scheme and a financial fraud scheme at the same time.
Programming note... I'm signing off early today because my father is coming over for dinner and I have a ton of things to do. I also have a big weekend of chores and rearranging my apartment ahead. Have a good weekend. Take your pills and wear your masks.