Comments on: Not Getting Scammed in the Philippines — Update 2

By: Philly

Philly — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:44:08 +0000

Thanks, Chas. Indeed. If you wrote a novel about a crook with schemes like the Rural bank Lagacy group, or the huge recent US Ponzi scandals like Bernie Madoff or the recent R. Allen Stanford debacle, the editor would likely reject the story as being too far fetched. But these men, Wall Street insiders, freinds of Treasury Secretaies, consultants to the SEC, etc., just offered people impossible gains on their money, and the lemmings lined up in droves. Most people will just read these areticles and say, “There goes Dave, popping off again” and think nothing more about it, but if I can convince one guy teetering on the brink from dumping his family fortune into a scheme like this, it will be worthwhile.

By: Chas

Chas — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 04:07:47 +0000

Hi Dave,Some very wise words in your article.There is one thing for sure,as this economic crisis deepens, even more scam and con artists will crawl out of the woodwork,regards Chas.

By: Philly

Philly — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:17:13 +0000

Hello Jim, didn’t know you were a reader. Thanks, and thanks for your comment. This blog is not really about TRICARE and other retiree issues, but from time to time they come up. As Jim says, as a TRICARE beneficiary, you can ‘farm out’ the submission od claims, my words may have been unclear there.

But you, the TRICARE member bear ultimnate responsibility for what goes on the forms … and if the provider is making money by “overpricing” as we say here in the Phils so often, then you are a party to a crime. Like Jim, I fervently wish TRICARE would take intelligent action to clean house instead of “kicking the can” down the road. Forewarned is forearmed.

By: Jim Houtsma

Jim Houtsma — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:00:10 +0000

There is nothing illegal with a provider agreeing to submit claims to Tricare. However, I would say 95% of all provider groups in the Philippines that agree to process claims do so with the intent of over billing Tricare by four to five times the actual cost of care.

The troubling thing is these groups have been reported to Tricare but they are still certified by Tricare as providers. What message does that send.