NM Claims Retirement Center Abused Patients
Ethics
The State of New Mexico claims Dr. Ali Ghaffari and his pharmacist wife owned and operated the substandard and abusive Buena Vista Retirement Center in Clovis, and bilked the state through Medicaid fraud. The state also sued Dr. Ali Ghaffari Sr., and claims the Ghaffaris "caused egregious and ongoing resident harm, abuse, and neglect, and the grossly deficient living conditions at Buena Vista."
In its federal claim, the state says the Ghaffaris collected $4.9 million from Medicaid. It claims the family "knowingly caused and/or conspired to cause Buena Vista to submit bills to Medicaid for providing qualified nursing home services, despite knowing that in fact Buena Vista was not doing so. At all material times, defendants knowingly assisted one another and cooperated in submitting the false claims and accepting the payments received therefrom ... . defendants Ali Ghaffari and Linda Ghaffari personally benefited from the payments received from the Medicaid program."
The state demands penalties and treble damages for false claims, and other relief.
Related listings
-
Sexist Country Club Bans Phoenix Man
Ethics 02/26/2009A man says Phoenix Country Club expelled him for objecting to its policy that bars women from the grill. Russell Brown, an attorney, says that after he expressed his views to other members, to the Arizona Women Lawyer's Association and The New York T...
-
Woman Poses as Attorney to Smuggle Cigs
Ethics 02/11/2009A woman who police say posed as a lawyer to sneak into the Duval County jail no longer has any need to sneak in. Investigators say 37-year-old Louise Cortese has been arrested after smuggling tobacco products into the jail for her boyfriend, who's al...
-
CitiGroup Cheats Cardholders Class Says
Ethics 02/09/2009Citibank/Citigroup cheats credit cardholders who buy "CreditShield" unemployment and disability insurance, a class action claims in Federal Court. Plaintiffs say that after they file a claim, the defendant insurance companies make late payments to th...
USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.