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A doctor and a US veteran are currently being held under the surveillance of Philippine authorities in connection with the scam that victimized an American military health insurance programme.

Lawyer Claro de Castro, chief of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Interpol division, stated extradition cases are coursed through the Department of Justice (DOJ). He explained once the DOJ approves an extradition request a warrant of arrest will be issued and the NBI will serve it.

However, De Castro denied requests to reveal the identities of the two suspects so as not to jeopardize police operations.

In 2007, de Castro said a US veteran was extradited to the United States for his involvement in a scam that had been paid by TRICARE, the US Department of Defence’s worldwide healthcare programme for active duty and retired uniformed services members and their families, more than $100 million through fraudulent claims.

The scheme involved Philippine health providers, which were accused of getting kickbacks from false claims, inflated by as much as 2,000 percent, filed with TRICARE for medical services.

De Castro said the American veteran’s plea agreement with the US government was a bargain. The bargain consisted of the US government reduced the veteran’s pension after he admitted to overcharging his health claims by an estimated $35,000. The veteran had since returned to the Philipines.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, however, said his office has yet to receive an extradition request from Washington. ‘If there are people here and they have been indicted in the US and they ask us for extradition, we have no recourse but to comply because of the extradition treaty,’ Gonzalez said.

He anyhow maintained that the extradition proceedings might take particularly long, in particular if the accused questions the extradition request before the local courts.

Gonzalez added that he was not surprised when reports regarding the fraud came out, citing an incident in which a health provider operating in Subic, Angeles City and Bacolod was blacklisted due to fraudulent claims.

The justice chief said the health provider has overcharged and manipulated a patient’s medical records.

On April 22, 2008, the online edition of Marinas Variety reported that a Filipino doctor was arrested and charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and filing of false claims in Wisconsin in connection with the kickbacks he purportedly got from TRICARE claims.

It was reported that Diogenese Dionisio would allegedly give the beneficiaries between 40 to 80 percent of the amount of the claim while the rest of the money would go to him and his clinic, CDMF Medical Clinic in Mandaluyong City. In 2006, a former American administrator of Philippine health provider, Health Visions Corporation, pleaded guilty to defrauding the TRICARE program. Thomas Arthur Lutz was charged with participating in a conspiracy with Health Visions and a physician in the Philippines to double bill TRICARE and kickback the inflated payments to the health provider.

On Thursday reports said a US judge ordered Health Visions to pay back the $100 million it swindled from TRICARE. An Associated Press report said Health Visions was ordered to liquidate all its assets within months and give the proceeds to the US government. On top of the $99.9 million in restitution, Crabb directed the company to forfeit an additional $910,000 and pay a $500,000 fine.

Under Crabb’s decision, the report said the Health Visions will be required to sell off land, office buildings and hospitals in the Philippines and an airplane and houses in the US. Meanwhile, Commissioner Eduardo Malinis of the Office of Insurance said Health Visions is not part of its roster of insurance companies.

By: Sofia Abasolo

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Military Women

Throughout the history of the military, women have played a large role. Not only by supporting the soldiers but standing next to the male soldiers, ready to fight. Over nine thousand women served over in Vietnam and more served at hospitals caring for wounded soldiers (Wilson, 1996).

These jobs are supported military occupational specialties (MOS). Many of these jobs were clerical duties, nursing, civil service and laundry workers. The government finally decided to let women fill these jobs and let them men go fight in the war. Many served in the civilian sector but some were sent overseas; and some women did die in World War II and Vietnam.

Vietnam was a remarkable breakthrough for women in all armed forces. Women served in the Marines, Air Force, Navy and Army. By the time the military was leaving Vietnam, 7,500 women had accomplished oversea tours (Holm, 1982, chap. 16).  During Operation Just Cause in Panama 1989, a few hundred women served executing refueling missions and resupply missions while being shot at by the enemy (Wilson, 1996, ¶ 6). These missions still were not considered combat missions.

Women served in large numbers during the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991. Over 40,000 (Ghajar, n.d., ¶ women reportedly served in the battle between Kuwait and Iraq. These women had set a milestone in women’s history and set record numbers. Today the women serving overseas against the War on Terrorism has helped contribute to the success of the military women.     The War on Terrorism has brought men and women together. Not fighting against each other about gender but fighting together as a strong force.

Even though the military does not consider what women do in Iraq and Afghanistan as combat, many women find themselves in danger at any given moment. The women of these wars have made exceptional achievements and accomplished many successful missions.

Achievements

The military has given credit to the well deserved men and women. Women, who helped in the Revolutionary War, were the first to receive pensions. These women, not yet considered military, were recognized for “drawing well water” (Wilson, 1996, Military Women “Firsts” and their History) for soldiers on the battlefield. These women were accredited no matter how small the pension was and today female soldiers receive the same veteran benefits and pensions of male soldiers. But few have received as many awards as their male counterparts.   The only woman to receive the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor, is a Civil War surgeon Dr. Mary Walker. She was awarded the medal, and Congress eventually took it away from her for reasons still not exactly known. After her death, President Carter “reinstated her medal” (Wilson, 1996).

There have been many women to receive the Purple Heart, which is the oldest and first military award.  The Purple Heart is awarded to soldiers who have been injured or killed during combat, directly engaged with enemy. The Purple Heart is an award of honor and is held in high regard. With the awards come honor but to receive honor one must receive rank that deserves respect.        Recently the first female was given the rank of four-star General. This is the highest commissioned rank in the military. Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody was promoted in November of 2008, which shifted the outlook on women officers (CNN, 2008). Women have served all branches and parts of the military.

The Army’s non-commissioned officers (NCO) are thought to be the “backbone of the Army”. These NCOs train and fight next to their soldiers guiding them through their battles. There are only a few exceptional women NCOs documented, but there are many who have served. These NCOs stand for, what the military is; they fight beside their soldiers and lead from the front. Women have participated in the long tradition of the NCO ranks. Women NCOs have showed that they too can do what is right and lead the force.

Even though there are more men given awards of merit and so forth; the women have stood by these soldiers doing the same job. The physical fitness and training standards may be different, but these soldiers work together to get the mission accomplished.

Feminizing the Military

Many people will argue that women do not belong in the military or front lines because the obvious physical difference. Can a woman carry the same weight as a man on her back? Can a woman run as far as the man running beside her?  The military adopted the different physical standards to help provide fair evaluations of female recruits. Some female soldiers are able to run further then male soldiers, some may even be able to carry a heavy load longer distances than men. These standards are set in place to help women overcome the physical differences. The training of soldiers though does not have the same standards.

Training in a co-ed environment may be a little stricter on language and harder on sexual harassment. The women are trained in the same areas of men and are given the exact evaluations. These training units instill a tough sexual harassment and equal opportunity policy. Still with these policies in place there is a list of units and batteries that women are not allowed to train for (”Women in the Army”, n.d., ¶ 7). These units are thought to be ones that would send a woman into direct combat.

A unit that does go into direct battle needs support soldiers, these support elements are: criminal intelligence, clerical, medical, military police, civil affairs, engineers and signal. Women are allowed to serve in all support units and go to war with the combat units. The support elements will engage in missions that will put women on the front lines. And even though the military will not recognize women serving in combat, in a support MOS, a soldier will be in the line of danger and fight along with the combat soldiers.

Views on Women in the Military

The combat readiness of female soldiers is a long debate. There are many that believe that because of a woman’s emotional needs that do not belong on the battlefields. Some say women are a distraction to men on the battlefields and women cannot carry the same load as men.         Today there are numerous women serving in support units which complete dangerous missions daily. The military prohibits women serving in line units (infantry) (Norris, 2007, ¶ 4) but females are part of a specialized unit themselves.

The War on Terrorism brought a new threat, women suicide bombers.  The Muslim beliefs made it hard for male soldiers to search Muslim women properly who could be hiding critical information or weapons. The military designed a group of women, usually belonging to a military police unit, to conduct missions with combat units to help search the women. The “Lioness” proved to play a very important role in the ground war (Solaro, 2006, chap. 3).

These women help show respect to the Muslim beliefs and are very important in the War on Terrorism. This job puts these women on the front lines and many women in these units find themselves in battles with the enemy. These women know all to well the effects of war and have firsthand experience. Again, the military will not acknowledge that they put women on the front lines, they are there.        Our history has shown us that no matter one’s race, religion or gender; oneself can be successful in this country. A woman can run a business just as well as a male. An African American woman can run the same business. And a Muslim, African American woman can run the business just the same.

Women and men of many races and religions fight the war together, proving the country is united. This lets our enemies know the United States of America does have equality and will rise from our shortcomings. The military may not recognize women are on the front lines because of the policies, but the women overseas know better. They are fighting alongside the male soldiers in direct combat and, they are just as important to the success of the war. Virginia Woolf a British author once said “As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is my whole world.”

References Chamber of Commerce. (2007). U.S. Census Bureau News Release Available from Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/cb07ff-03.pdf CNN (2008). Army general is nation’s first four-star woman. Retrieved December 15, 2008, from http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/woman.4.star.general/index.html Ghajar, L. (n.d.). Persian Gulf War. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Hagen, M. (2004). Women in the Military. Retrieved December 15, 2008, from http://www.mscd.edu/~history/camphale/wim_001.html Holm, J. (1982). Women in the Military an Unfinished Revolution. Novato, CA: Presidio Press. Lewis, J. (n.d.). About Women and World War II. Retrieved January 3, 2009, from http://womenshistory.about.com/od/warwwii/a/military.htm Norris, M. (2007, October 1, 2007). Roles for Women in U.S. Army Expand. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14869648 Solaro, E. (2006). Women in the Line of Fire: What You Should Know About Women in the Military. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press. Wilson, B. (1996). Military Women “Firsts” and their History. Retrieved January 5, 2009, from http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/firsts.html Wilson, B. (1996). Vietnam-Southeast Asia. Retrieved December 29,2008, from http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvetsnam.html Women in the Army-Historical Highlights. (n.d.) Retrieved January 11, 2009 , from http://www.asamra.army.mil/eo/eo_docs/Women in the Army - Historical Highlights.doc Woolf, V. (n.d.). World of Quotes. Retrieved January 15, 2009, from http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Virginia-Woolf/1/index.html

By: Heather

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For Immediate Release

The U.S. Military, Managing Medical Information from the Battlefield

For the first time in the history of the U.S. Military, battlefield information management and information technology systems are enabling improved quality of care and communications by capturing information electronically.

The Theater Medical Information Program – Joint, a Department of Defense (DoD) and Military Health System (MHS) program provides information management tools to the U.S. Military’s deployed medical community. This mobile, flexible software system, designed for low-to-no communications environments, supports clinical care documentation, medical supply and equipment tracking, patient movement visibility, and health surveillance in a deployed setting. TMIP-J operates on a combination of hand-held devices, notebooks and deployable servers and mirrors the capabilities of the Military’s U.S.-based medical information management systems.

TMIP-J carries out Presidential and Congressional requirements for establishing a life-long electronic health record for all Service members. Since May 2005, TMIP-J applications have electronically captured more than 1.2 million medical encounters. Patient data is available in near real-time through the DoD Central Data Repository to approved medical personnel throughout the MHS.

This presentation will delve into the challenges and successes TMIP-J faces during the development, update and integration process of the applications supporting the Theater medical business practice, including lessons learned.

To register for Early-Bird Passes please visit http://gov.wowgao.com/registration OR call (416) 292-0038 Ext. 812.

About the Theater Medical Information Program - JOINT (TMIP-J)

The Theater Medical Information Program - Joint (TMIP-J) provides an integrated suite of software that supports the U.S. military’s deployed medical business practice. TMIP-J supports complete clinical care documentation, medical supply and equipment tracking, patient movement visibility, and health surveillance in an austere communications environment. TMIP-J serves as the medical component for the Global Combat Support System (GCSS) and the Global Command and Control System (GCCS). Today, TMIP-J is in use by war fighters and medical practitioners supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

About the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference & Expo:

The 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo will focus on the latest IT products and solutions being developed and sought after in the healthcare and public service sector, including Web 2.0, Patient Monitoring Systems, Document Management, Business Intelligence, Mobile Data Systems, RFID Solutions, Biometrics and much more.

As one of Canada’s leading annual IT conference and exposition, the event features ground breaking IT applications that aim to educate key IT professionals, Government officials, developers, architects, engineers and medical professionals with the necessary tools and techniques for the reliable, effective management of all public information services across Canada. For more information about the event, please visit http://gov.wowgao.com

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Our featured events include:

Government & Health Technologies Conference and Expo | April 15 & 16, 2008

Wireless & Mobile Expo and Conference | July 15 & 16, 2008

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Financial Services Technology Forum | October 2008

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With the aim of providing unparalleled services to its enormous customer base spread out over the world, GAO Group has developed and deployed state of the art technologies among all its facilities to support such functions as e-commerce, inventory management, CRM, project management, and supply chain management.

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One of the great selling points for convincing young people to join the military is the health care benefit packages that come with membership in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or the United States Coast Guard. The health care coverage options will include the service member and every member of the immediate family. While on active duty, the services will be provided by medical facilities on base, or at military hospitals that are located throughout the world.

The military provides health insurance at no cost to the service member throughout their enlistment in the armed forces. Health care coverage for dependents is very generous and dental coverage plans are available. Physicians who have joined the military provide the treatment needed by officer’s and enlisted personnel. These physicians will become part of the medical staff that are stationed onboard Navy vessels, or at medical facilities that are strategically placed in foreign lands.

As part of the readiness programs designed by the military, service members are expected to return to duty after treatment has been provided. Some treatments will require the military member to be flown to a specialist in a foreign land. The military service member receives this special treatment at no cost and is allowed to recuperate for long periods before being expected to return to duty. The family will continue to be protected by health care insurance coverage while the member is deployed overseas.

All treatment at military facilities is documented in a military health record for every service member. A copy of the official health record is provided to every service member when they retire and can serve as official documentation for receiving health benefits through the Veterans Administration. The level of benefits will be based on the level of the disability rating assigned by the Veterans Administration, and if the service member is rated totally disabled, they are provided health care coverage for the rest of their life at no charge.

Every complaint for medical service should be documented in the military members health record. Even minor complaints of ear aches, sore throat, or injuries incurred while on active duty should be noted each time treatment is received. The frequency of the complaints will be considered when the Veterans Administration assigns medical disability ratings. The frequency of visits may be large due to the no cost health insurance coverage in place for all members of the military and each one can have great bearing on future medical benefits that are offered for military member discharged early for disabilities incurred while on active duty.

The health benefits packages for members of the military extend to over-the-counter medications that civilians must pay for with money out of their own pocket. All military service members can visit a military health clinic, fill out forms for cough medicines in liquid and pill form, and receive them at no cost. The service member is entitled to regular dental exams, which will include the issuance of dental hygiene tools and cleanings at no expense to the member.

By: Jim Brown

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