Our firm investigates business entities that have committed some form of fraud or deceptive business practice, which has harmed a group of consumers in a similar manner. We have successfully resolved numerous consumer fraud claims, helping thousands of people recover their losses. For the last six decades, our firm has stood up to unscrupulous corporate organizations to help consumers in a wide range of consumer fraud matters.
As many as 20,000 current and former nursing home residents are to be reimbursed as part of a federal court settlement.
This settlement came to resolve the class-action lawsuit filed on the behalf of thousands of nursing home residents, claiming that they were forced to pay Medicaid co-pays despite the fact that they were eligible for Medicare.
Senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, John Curtin, approved the formation of a new fund to reimburse those defrauded. The fund will contain $11 million.
What Happened?
“The thing about this case is, the state was an active participant in the fraud. In fact, the author of the fraud was a state program that (allowed for) the double-billing and collection of funds of poor people,” said Henry Killeen III, one of the lawyers working on the case, talking about the Medicare Optimization Program (MOP II), which was created in 1989 by the New York State Health Department.
The program necessitated that nursing homes charge both Medicaid and Medicare for nursing home residents.
The extra billing was discovered by attorney Anthony Szcygiel. He filed a class-action lawsuit in 1992 against the New York State Health department claiming that the state failed to abide by federal regulations that required they give the victims refunds.
“This is significant for our clients,” said Szcygiel. “I am very sorry that the settlement came about long after our class members died, (but) the settlement may help avoid future problems.”
“I think justice has been done, 15 years later,” said executive director of Legal Services for the Elderly, Karen Nicolson.
Victim of Fraud?
If you or a loved one has been defrauded, you may not be the only victim. Please contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced and affective consumer fraud attorney who can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Consumer fraud class action lawsuits are specifically designed to help individuals who have been similarly aggrieved to pursue a common goal – namely to hold the deceptive business accountable for any damages suffered. Thus, consumers who have been defrauded by a corporation or other entity may file a consumer fraud class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and others to seek compensation for their shared grievance.
If you feel you have been the victim of consumer fraud or any type of fraud, please contact us to learn about your legal rights and options. WE VALUE YOUR PRIVACY: any information you provide on this secure form will be held in the strictest confidence and will only be used by our attorneys to determine how we can help you.