| State officials take down a respected health | | | | numerous violations but the fact is, |
| care facility because they were too | | | | Crossings was targeted in accordance with the |
| successful. | | | | State's efforts to bring down agencies that |
| | | | were successful. |
| Despite the recent atrocities in New York | | | | |
| that caused the removal of a now former | | | | Frank Buonanotte, the former CEO of Crossings |
| Governor, Eliot Spitzer, what most people are | | | | Recovery Centers is in the process of suing |
| unaware of is that the corruption doesn't | | | | OASAS, the State of New York and Henry Zwack, |
| stop there. The State of New York has been | | | | who was the State's spin doctor. At the |
| trying to lower its Medicaid spending for a | | | | time, Zwack was the head of the General |
| while. The Medicaid system provides a health | | | | Counsels office at OASAS. Prior to that, |
| care benefit to the indigent population, | | | | Zwack was ousted from his position as County |
| funded in part by the State. However, behind | | | | Executive of Rensselaer County as a result of |
| closed doors, the State recognizes that the | | | | several counts of corruption. Henry Zwack |
| indigent population is predominately a | | | | had 15 indictments under his belt before he |
| population that doesn't vote, so depriving | | | | participated in the deliberate destruction of |
| them of benefits usually doesn't have many | | | | Crossings. Now Zwack is a judge in the New |
| consequences to politicians. | | | | York State Court of Claims. Who knows how |
| | | | much havoc he's causing there. |
| When figuring the majority of the Medicaid | | | | |
| expense, it doesn't take too much to | | | | Buonanotte won his first bit of success in |
| determine that most of the money is going | | | | his lawsuit against the State when a Federal |
| toward paying for substance abuse treatment. | | | | Court judge dismissed the State's motion to |
| Statistics indicate that a large portion of | | | | dismiss the case. The Judge felt that there |
| the Medicaid population require some type of | | | | was enough evidence of wrong doing on the |
| alcohol and/or drug treatment. Therefore, | | | | State's part to proceed with a trial. |
| State politicians found that an inordinate | | | | Buonanotte expects depositions to begin this |
| amount of Medicaid dollars were going to | | | | summer and plans on being in front of a jury |
| substance abuse treatment facilities. These | | | | in the fall of 2008. Buonanotte is suing |
| facilities aren't billing Medicaid illegally. | | | | Henry Zwack and the former Commissioner of |
| It just so happens that a great number of | | | | OASAS, Shari Noonan in Federal Court and is |
| patients covered under the Medicaid program | | | | suing OASAS in the New York State Court of |
| require alcohol/drug treatment. | | | | Claims. The irony of this case is that |
| | | | Buonanotte's lawsuit against the State is to |
| Since politicians are not known for their | | | | the tune of $90 Million which is far more |
| business skills or ability to properly manage | | | | than Crossings had ever billed Medicaid for |
| money, New York State officials, in their | | | | treatment. |
| infinite wisdom, felt that the only way to | | | | |
| control Medicaid spending was the take down | | | | Neither Frank Buonanotte nor Crossings were |
| the medical facilities that were billing the | | | | charged with Medicaid fraud. Only petty |
| most. It didn't matter to the State that | | | | paper violations that Buonanotte describes as |
| these facilities were billing Medicaid | | | | "dotting i's and crossing t's" citations. |
| legally, nor did it matter to them that | | | | Such citations could be found in any medical |
| patients were actually getting better by | | | | facility across the State. It also appears |
| receiving the treatment services that they | | | | as if the State of New York has targeted |
| needed. Behind the scenes, the State | | | | other substance abuse treatment agencies in |
| launched a diabolical plan to systematically | | | | the same corrupt manner in which they did |
| destroy large alcohol and drug treatment | | | | Crossings. There is now a 6-8 week waiting |
| centers in New York in an effort to cut | | | | period before patients can be treated at any |
| spending. | | | | of the existing alcohol and drug treatment |
| | | | centers on Long Island. Oddly enough, no one |
| Crossings Recovery Centers was one of the | | | | has been able to realize that this is the |
| State's victims. Crossings was the largest | | | | reason why DWIs and alcohol/drug related |
| provider of outpatient substance abuse | | | | crimes and deaths are at an all-time high on |
| treatment on Long Island up until 2006 when | | | | Long Island. |
| the New York State of Alcoholism and | | | | |
| Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) conjured up | | | | Everyone wants their taxes to be lower but at |
| some bogus charges, devising an excuse to | | | | what expense? Another question is how much |
| shut the agency down. Up until then, | | | | more will it cost taxpayers in terms of crime |
| Crossings had not had any blemishes on its | | | | and wrongful deaths to have alcoholics and |
| record in the almost 2 decades that their | | | | drug addicts go untreated? An even better |
| clinics had been in existence. In an effort | | | | question is how much will it cost taxpayers |
| to justify their unlawful actions, the State | | | | to pay for the State's unlawful actions if |
| of New York had to claim that Crossings had | | | | Buonanotte wins his lawsuit? |