Pharma Trolls [Newsgroup & Forum pharma trolls]

[⊙＿⊙]

Pharma Trolls [Newsgroup & Forum pharma trolls]

*****

Pharma Trolls
Newsgroup & Forum pharma trolls

[A pharma troll inhabits medical forums, blogs and newsgroups and attacks/flames non-Allopathic medicine, or defends Allopathy. They usually are incognito (eg 'Harradine') as they like to appear an impartial unbiased seeker of the truth! They can then muddy the waters (obfuscate) more easily which is usually enough to keep the unaware confused about the merits of Alternative medicine, and stop the Allopathic from-birth brainwashing (see) from breaking down.
The usual modus operandi is Show us the Proof'. Show us the proof and we will use it if valid (yeah, right!). That game can lead the unaware round in circles for ages. It won't be long before Anecdote don't count, comes out, or not evidence-based medicine, "No known cure, no known cause
This also draws attention away from the fact most Allopathy gets on the market with no evidence of value (eg Chemo) whatsoever, and hides the fact they have a medical Allopathic monopoly (attack is the best defence). And no amount of evidence is ever going to be enough for these characters, obviously. The Pope isn't going to covert to Buddhism.]
Eg:
Case studies are anecdotes. Nice try.....These are anecdotes. DUH. Not data....The courts don't prove anything. Except, maybe, who has the better lawyer or a kid who need sympathy..NVICP doesn't count etc Jeffrey P. Utz, M.D. (alias Robert Watson, Wyle E. Coyote, Jeffrey Peter, M.D)
As for being a Pharma Troll, I am simply asking for someone to provide some decent evidence that homepathy works. How can that possibly be a biased request? How could anything be more neutral? That's what scientists ask each other all the time, part of their job- providing evidence. 'Harradine'
Occasionally they blow their cover clean out of the water with a paean to Allopathy. Classic!:
"Psychiatric drugs have helped millions! They are far from a cure, but my God, have you no idea how much antipsychotics have helped? People with major depression? The evidence that these drugs have helped millions is overwhelming. Of course they are not cures! No one has ever said that they are. But they have turned people lives around from the days when there were no treatment options at all."--- 'Harradine'
or just a general crude attack:
"Hemeopathic medicine is also unproven. It is just distilled water. No wonder it has not been proven."
"ADHD, autism, MS, and other stuff has never been linked to vaccinations. They have been hypothesized to be caused by vaccinations. However, good studies have not shown that this is the case."
"Chiropractic, naturopathy and homeopathy are worthless. They do not work (except for the practioner's pocketbook)."
"Yet human studies show that DPT is safe" then "DPT is not 100% safe. Nothing is."--Putz
Nutritional medical doctors are all assholes
"Orthomolecular medicine? That is unproven bullshit. Anyone who buys it is wasting his money."--Putz
"Chelation therapy is useless too."
"The fact of the matter is that proper diet and nutrition is important for maintaining health. But nurtitional medicine does nothing to cure most diseases."--Putz
"Herbal remedies DO NOT work. I guess physicians and other people want to see patients get effective treatment that works without wasting time and moneyon useless crap." Jeffrey P. Utz, M.D. (alias Robert Watson, Wyle E. Coyote, Jeffrey Peter, M.D)


http://www.whale.to/vaccine/troll_h.html

[mainframetech]

Ain't it the truth.

Chris

[Henry Mydlarz]

"⊙＿⊙" <logi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d890ca55-af47-4a8d...@googlegroups.com...

For many years now I have theorized that the almost constant "troll
assaults" on ASD are a highly organized and professional affair. It is not
simply to do with denigrating medical posts, but rather diverting posts
dealing with diabetes to nonsensical matters such as insults and politics
and religion. the intent is to make the newsgroup impotent - seemingly
useless to new diabetics who are not familiar with the "game".

Henry (who has been on ASD since its inception and will stay on it)

[Cheri]

"Henry Mydlarz" <myd...@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:ud2dnenyE97du87EnZ2dnUU7-

> For many years now I have theorized that the almost constant "troll
> assaults" on ASD are a highly organized and professional affair. It is not
> simply to do with denigrating medical posts, but rather diverting posts
> dealing with diabetes to nonsensical matters such as insults and politics
> and religion. the intent is to make the newsgroup impotent - seemingly
> useless to new diabetics who are not familiar with the "game".
>
> Henry (who has been on ASD since its inception and will stay on it)

Me too.

Cheri

[Clay]

I've posted on politics and religion.

I've attempted to keep the posts on politics marked OT in the subject
line. Most if not all the politics discussed are pertinent to the
ongoing development of affordable health care insurance in the USA,
a subject allied to the health interests of some diabetics here.

As to insults, there has been an ongoing stream of negative comments
in the background about others here for quite some time. Typically,
I have not initiated those comments, but I have expressed concerned
about them because they are not conducive to an atmosphere that fosters
support.

Some if not all of my posts on religion were in response to questions
from others here, not discussion I initiated. Even so, there are studies
finding that those who practiced a religion or maintained a spirituality
had better health outcomes, compared to those who did not practice
religion or maintain spirituality.

The record here shows that 1) the ng's atmosphere has not been ideally
conducive for providing support and 2) health information pertinent to
diabetics is posted less often than ideal.

In the absence of discussion helpful to diabetics, the void is filled by
subjects that are impertinent.

The bottom line is that the ng will not be pertinent to diabetics
without posts about pertinent subject matter. Keeping quiet in the
background is almost as bad as posting about impertinent subject
matter.

To have a pertinent ng, one should contribute posts on pertinent subject
matter. Laying low and silent in the background, hoping others post
pertinently, doesn't cut the mustard.

> Henry (who has been on ASD since its inception and will stay on it)

I am happy that you are committed to staying on ASD, Henry,
notwithstanding the prevalence of posts not so useful.

[Don Roberto]

I.e., your depression is complication of your paranoia?

> Henry (who has been on ASD since its inception and will stay on it)

Good for you. Just pray it won't turn into something like MHD

Don Roberto
----------------------------
I was walking home one night
and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo.
In morse code.
--Emo Phillips

[Clay]

As best as I understand it as layman, paranoia can result from a
worsening of depression, or manifest itself as a symptom of a psychosis
or in the manic phase of bipolar illness.

>> Henry (who has been on ASD since its inception and will stay on it)
>
> Good for you. Just pray it won't turn into something like MHD

What happened in MHD?
What should I be aware of to help prevent that here?

[mainframetech]

Henry, It has the feel of the crowd of losers that got into the Alternative health forum and made it useless for anyone. They are a group that pretend they are skeptics that favor mainstream drug policy vs. ANY alternative methods for health. They like to pretend they're more intelligent than anyone else that comes to the forum and when they put forward an alternative treatment or method, the denizens all jump on it and prove that it's foolish somehow. They are being sued by a company they harmed a while back. and are associated with a phony that made the 'QuackWatch' site. I believe they are supported by the drug industry.

Chris

[Don Roberto]

Posting a little more would be nice also

[Don Roberto]

He - like so many - isn't here to listen but to reply.

[A Burro in the World]

On Friday, June 23, 2017 at 10:50:49 AM UTC-7, ⊙＿⊙ wrote:
> Pharma Trolls [Newsgroup & Forum pharma trolls]

This is so last decade. The trolls have moved on to greener pastures.

[Don Roberto]

Naah, the problem here started when I dragged you in from ASK-D.

They are a group that pretend they are skeptics that favor mainstream
drug policy vs. ANY alternative methods for health. They like to
pretend they're more intelligent than anyone else that comes to the
forum and when they put forward an alternative treatment or method,

Pretty good job describing yourself.

the denizens all jump on it and prove that it's foolish somehow.

It is - your conspiracy theories are as foolish as it gets.

They are being sued by a company they harmed a while back. and are
associated with a phony that made the 'QuackWatch' site. I believe they
are supported by the drug industry.

Sure they are

Don Roberto
--------------------------------
"I hold the biscuits in front of his face and he stands up.
"What do I have to do?" he says.
"Nothing," I say. "They're for you."
"Are they poisoned?" he says.
"No," I say.
"Eat one," he says.
So I do.
"Probably the others are poisoned," he says. "Eat a fraction of each."
I eat a corner off each biscuit. He looks at the reminders suspiciously,
then sniffs them.
"I'm not sure it's worth it," he says. "How I wish you'd never come.
Perhaps you've left the poison off of just those corners."
I begin to realize I'll doubt whatever information he gives me.
"Lick the entire biscuit," he says. "Then give them to me."
So I lick each biscuit.
"Both sides," he says.
I lick both sides of each biscuit. I give him the wet biscuits and he
cracks them open and sniffs them. Then he puts them in his pocket.
"What do you want?" he says. "Now that you've failed to poison me to death.”
-- George Saunders, Pastoralia

[Don Roberto]

You seem to be well-versed in Psychobabble,
And don't knock your layman status because there are no real
professionals in this "discipline".

>>> Henry (who has been on ASD since its inception and will stay on it)
>>
>> Good for you. Just pray it won't turn into something like MHD
>
> What happened in MHD?
> What should I be aware of to help prevent that here?

Asking stupid questions, like the two above, may help.

[Henry Mydlarz]

I too have been "guilty" of posting on "off topic" subjects, as have most
other credible posters. What amazes me, though, is the veritable barrage of
posts by a few (couple) of other posters, and their concerted effort to
swamp ASD with non-diabetic stuff; to divert any pots which seem helpful to
diabetics into a wave of off topic insults and arguments.

I am sure most credible posters don't have to go far to guess who these
people are. Just count their posts. Are there really only a couple of
posters, or is it a group of posters posting under a couple identities? Do
they really have so much spare time to post so much, or are they getting
paid to do so?

Henry

[Don Roberto]

If it weren't for those "few (couple) other posters", this would be a
very quiet group because *you* and *your* "most other credible posters"
really have very little to say most of the time. You seeing yourself as
a credible posters is kinda cute though.

> I am sure most credible posters don't have to go far to guess who these
> people are. Just count their posts.

You obviously counted them (and most likely read them ALL) - so why
can't you just let "all those other credible posters" know who you are
talking about, perhaps even engage them to find out why it upsets you
that they are talking about what *you* consider off-topic subjects such
as American Healthcare.

Are there really only a couple of
> posters, or is it a group of posters posting under a couple identities?

No, it's a project by Lurkers United - each one has to do a stint to
keep you and the other credible posters awake.

Do
> they really have so much spare time to post so much, or are they getting
> paid to do so?
>

Now you are entering paranoid Chris' and "Dr" Susan's territory.
Be careful - Shrinkland rumor has it paranoia can cause or worsen
depression.

Don Roberto
----------------------
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.
--Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

[Henry Mydlarz]

"Don Roberto" <anothas...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:oj74op$6h9$1...@dont-email.me...

Do you have to do a training course to write like that, Don? Or do you just
pick it up....

I think the trick is to drive away the credible posters with a barrage of
insults....

By the way, how many readers in this ng don't have you in their kill files
yet?

I believe this newsgroup will continue to serve diabetics, especially those
who want to improve the outcome beyond what's offered by many medical
professionals. Long after you and I are gone.

Henry

[Francher]

Hello Henry,
I know it is not something you chose to do. However I did it. I found
that it is so much easier to find relevant posts with a large kill file.
I have a lot there like Chung and his followers, DR/F00 and F00s sock
puppet billv.

There were just so awful many posts just by DR/F00 that it became
background noise.

It actually never occurred to me that all that noise and anger might be
intentional to prevent real people with real problems solving them here
until you mentioned it.

That is why God made kill files. Anyway, it works for me. I just wish
DR/F00 would put me in their kill file. Not likely, considering their
actual intent.

[Don Roberto]

Having a different opinion is not an insult.
What's an insult is what *you* and a couple of other posters you
consider "credible posters" try to do by sucking up on one another and
piling on anyone who doesn't share your "values".

> By the way, how many readers in this ng don't have you in their kill files
> yet?

You are not only asking the wrong person, you are asking someone who
doesn't care about such childish games.
I am not here to find people I can put into a killfile. If I think
someone is full of it, I either air it or don't respond to that person,
at least not to the post s/he showed me s/he's full of it.
What is the purpose of a killfile besides threatening others, which is
as silly as it gets.

>
> I believe this newsgroup will continue to serve diabetics, especially those
> who want to improve the outcome

The outcome of what?

beyond what's offered by many medical
> professionals. Long after you and I are gone.
>

Yes! Nevertheless - Long Live Henry and Yours Truly also too.
And everyone else except Francher: may s/he no longer be recognized by
decent folks after finding a nice new nym.

Yours truly

[F00]

This is a support group, something you've never done. There's an entire
medical profession out there in all of the civilized world that was
designed for "real people with real problems" who should not be coming
here to listen to quacks and amateurs to solve those problems.

Speaking of "intentions" may I remind the readers about Ellen's
observation on 3/28/14 when she was speaking to you: “So the whole
reason you are here is to cause distress to the first outsider?” and of
course you're still at it.

> That is why God made kill files. Anyway, it works for me. I just wish
> DR/F00 would put me in their kill file. Not likely, considering their
> actual intent.

In your case, killfiles are a head-in-the-sand solution to the problems
you made and continue to make for yourself.

Your often repeated "It actually never occurred to me that...," implying
innocence, has been so overused by you as to become laughable. You
"*actually* make most decent people everywhere want to puke.

[F00]

And yet he loves to troll, telling readers he doesn't have the time
to read articles that include topics discussing conditions affecting
him, but he has time to whine that the same articles detract from the
legitimate business of this newsgroup. Alas he'll probably not
understand how it is that he too is helping to drive a knife into the
heart of common sense.

http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/obitcs.htm

[Don Roberto]

Amen to that!

[mainframetech]

Careful! You might be getting paranoid about me and Susan!

Chris

[Don Roberto]

So I googled "Death of Common Sense". With the quotation marks: 406,000
hits. 49,800,000 hits without the quotation marks.
So Henry's efforts of "helping to drive a knife into the heart of common
sense" can do no more harm. IMO.

Don Roberto
--------------------------
If everyone who had a gun just shot themselves,
there wouldn't be a problem.
--George Harrison

[Don Roberto]

Paranoia per se isn't a bad thing - it's only bad when it prevents you
from seeing/doing what is right.

Don Roberto
--------------------
Paranoia's the garlic in life's kitchen -
you can never have too much.
--Thomas Pynchon

[Henry Mydlarz]

"Francher" <now...@darkenergy.org> wrote in message
news:_iG5B.60235$gb1....@fx14.iad...

I doubt if I will ever have kill files, Francher. It takes me little time to
scan through the posts. I only read a few. The ones that are intended to
upset me, don't upset me. I treat those as I regard a car hooning past our
house every now and then.

Henry

[F00]

On 7/2/2017 5:09 AM, Don Roberto wrote:
> On 7/1/2017 3:58 AM, F00 wrote:
>> On 6/30/2017 10:29 PM, Don Roberto wrote:
>>> On 6/29/2017 9:57 PM, Henry Mydlarz wrote:

Time to <snip> a lot

>>>> I am sure most credible posters don't have to go far to guess who these
>>>> people are. Just count their posts.
>>>
>>> You obviously counted them (and most likely read them ALL)
>>
>>
>> And yet he loves to troll, telling readers he doesn't have the time
>> to read articles that include topics discussing conditions affecting
>> him, but he has time to whine that the same articles detract from the
>> legitimate business of this newsgroup. Alas he'll probably not
>> understand how it is that he too is helping to drive a knife into the
>> heart of common sense.
>>
>> http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/obitcs.htm
>>
>
> So I googled "Death of Common Sense". With the quotation marks: 406,000
> hits. 49,800,000 hits without the quotation marks.
> So Henry's efforts of "helping to drive a knife into the heart of common
> sense" can do no more harm. IMO.

Time for a little entertainment? Sorry, false dichotomy.

http://wiki.c2.com/?FalseDichotomy

More <snipped>

[⊙＿⊙]

On Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 10:22:05 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Trolls Just Want to Have Fun

*****

Trolls Just Want to Have Fun?
By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

~ 2 min read
Trolls Just Want to Have Fun?According to a new study, researchers have found that people who troll online often have nasty personalities. And, well, they like doing it. Trolls enjoy trolling.

Surprised? Not sure anyone would be.

Nonetheless, the researchers found that trolls scored highly on a number of personality traits examined: Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, extraversion, disagreeableness and sadism.


Trolling is, according to the researchers (Buckels et al., 2014), the “practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet with no apparent instrumental purpose.” People who troll like to post comments to websites or communities online that cause trouble, insult others, and cause general mayhem, just for the sheer pleasure of seeing what happens when they do so.

The researchers coined their own term for four of the personality variables they studied, which they call the Dark Tetrad of personality: Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism. Machiavellianism is a willingness to manipulate and deceive others, while psychopathy is not having any remorse or empathy for others. The researchers thought everyday sadism would be most conducive to trolling behavior online.

In two studies of over 1,215 participants, the researchers found that a number of personality traits were associated with a greater likelihood for trolling.

In the first study of 418 Mechanical Turk workers, the researchers found 5.6 percent of survey respondents enjoyed trolling. They scored significantly higher on traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, extraversion and sadism. They also scored lower on agreeableness (meaning they were, from a personality standpoint, more disagreeable).

In the second study, the researchers found that both sadism and Machiavellianism were the best predictors of enjoyment of trolling behavior online.

Most of those participants came from the Amazon Mechanical Turk service, where participants were paid $0.50 for their participation in taking all of the surveys the researchers administered.1

In the final analysis of Study 2, we found clear evidence that sadists tend to troll because they enjoy it. When controlling for enjoyment, sadism’s impact on trolling was cut nearly in half; and the indirect effect of sadism through enjoyment was substantial, [and] significant […].

Problems with the study? Strangely, the researchers mentioned no limitations of their study. Other than the use of their own measures (which were listed as “in press” in the study), the researchers apparently never defined “trolling” to the participants in the study. It could mean different things to different people. And of course, the participants were either largely Mechanical Turk workers or Canadian college students. These results may not generalize to the population.

It’s good to know that trolls online have a personality type that fits with what most of us view them as being — sadistic, deceptive and in it for themselves. Trolls just want to have fun? Sure… but who doesn’t?



Reference

Buckelsa, EE, Trapnellb, PD, Paulhusc, DL (2014). Trolls just want to have fun. Personality and Individual Differences. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.01.016

Footnotes:

Mechanical Turk workers are not really representative of the American population as a whole (PDF), but that’s probably not relevant to the current study.

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/02/16/trolls-just-want-to-have-fun/

[Francher]

Nice post

That study really represents common sense. The attack dogs here go after
anyone who is willing to share their personal experiences with life and
living with type 2.

I was naive when I started in this group and thought I could share my
life experiences here. Boy was I wrong. I was immediately attacked. The
trolls see sharing your real life as weakness and this attracts them.

Just look at those individuals here who actually share their life. They
are the never ending targets of the trolls.

Henry shares his life but the attacks against him just bounce off. That
must be terribly frustrating for those sadistic trolls. I just use a
kill file. However, some of it leaks through in posts that contain troll
reference posts. Julie rarely posts now. Perhaps because she is always
attacked for sharing her actual life. Julie if you are reading, please
don't go away because of the attack trolls.

I read those few members here who share their lives with serious
attention. It is there that I find the most valuable information. I
realize my post here will again attract the attack trolls, but
fortunately, I don't have to read them. Their posts will be to get
attention from everyone else.

[F00]

On 7/3/2017 12:13 PM, Francher wrote:

> That study really represents common sense. The attack dogs here go after
> anyone who is willing to share their personal experiences with life and
> living with type 2.
>
> I was naive when I started in this group and thought I could share my
> life experiences here. Boy was I wrong. I was immediately attacked. The
> trolls see sharing your real life as weakness and this attracts them.

This is called projection, where the poster denies the attributes
properly belonging to him and shifts the bad behavior on to their
target, to the point that Ellen, who has not posted here in a long time,
wrote to and about Francher on 3/28/14, “So the whole reason you are
here is to cause distress to the first outsider?” A troll like you
claiming innocence is pathetic.

What you were wrong about was foisting off lies to this group and
expecting all the readers to be enamored of the untrue image you
created. As always, you're looking for love in all the wrong places and
in the wrong ways. I wonder of all the things you posted what small
percentage was actually true?

> Just look at those individuals here who actually share their life. They
> are the never ending targets of the trolls.

Bullshit. Simple disagreement is not trolling. The Urban Dictionary
defines a troll as "One who posts a deliberately provocative message to
a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum
disruption and argument." That be you! Just look at this posting of
yours to find a great example!

> Henry shares his life but the attacks against him just bounce off. That
> must be terribly frustrating for those sadistic trolls. I just use a
> kill file. However, some of it leaks through in posts that contain troll
> reference posts.

Henry is himself a depraved troll who meets the definition above
although he's not nearly the sociopath you've demonstrated yourself to
be. He seems so innocent that it is sometimes difficult not to believe
him. Thast must be his charm.

> Julie rarely posts now. Perhaps because she is always
> attacked for sharing her actual life. Julie if you are reading, please
> don't go away because of the attack trolls.

Any sane poster would ask her why it is she hasn't posted very much of
late. It appears to me she's been experiencing various problems that
occupy her time (based on what she did recently post.)

It is more than rude of you to put words into her mouth without actually
knowing anything of her situation or reasons, you sick demented bastard.

> I read those few members here who share their lives with serious
> attention. It is there that I find the most valuable information. I
> realize my post here will again attract the attack trolls, but
> fortunately, I don't have to read them. Their posts will be to get
> attention from everyone else.

The troll himself is misdirecting once again. Did you expect a free pass
for making the sorts of bullshit postings you've been making of late.

You claim to be sharing your life experiences with this group of
readers, but what you actually do is mix lies with an occasional tidbit
that *might* be true and pass it all off as true, meanwhile blaming
"trolls" for your inability to post the true story.

Anyone who actually believes what you write is a fool, starting with
you.

[Don Roberto]

I hope you *don't* count yourself and all your other nyms, as some of
those individuals.

They
> are the never ending targets of the trolls.
>

I hope you *do* count yourself and all your other nyms, as some of the

[Don Roberto]

+2

[F00]

Which of the lies is (s)he referring to in this?

[Fact √]

U.S. Charges 412, Including Doctors, in $1.3 Billion Health Fraud

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/us/politics/health-care-fraud.html


The New York Times

U.S. Charges 412, Including Doctors, in $1.3 Billion Health Fraud

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday that more than 400 arrests had been made as part of a nationwide crackdown on health care fraud.
JIM LO SCALZO / EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY
By REBECCA R. RUIZ
JULY 13, 2017


WASHINGTON — Hundreds of people nationwide, including dozens of doctors, have been charged in health care fraud prosecutions, accused of collectively defrauding the government of $1.3 billion, the Justice Department said on Thursday.

Nearly one-third of the 412 charged were accused of opioid-related crimes. The health care providers, about 50 of them doctors, billed Medicare and Medicaid for drugs that were never purchased; collected money for false rehabilitation treatments and tests; and gave out prescriptions for cash, according to prosecutors.

Some of the doctors wrote more prescriptions for controlled substances in a single month than entire hospitals wrote in that time, the acting director of the F.B.I., Andrew G. McCabe, said at a news conference in Washington of federal law enforcement and health care officials who announced the prosecutions.

“This event again highlights the enormity of the fraud challenge we face,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.


Arrests were made nationwide over the course of the last week, the Justice Department said, as part of a Medicare fraud task force established in 2007. The more than 400 prosecutions, a record for the task force, covered years of activity and were spread across more than 20 states.

In one case, prosecutors said, the owner and operator of a drug-treatment center in Delray Beach, Fla., recruited addicts to aid him in his schemes, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and visiting “crack motels” to persuade people to move to South Florida to help him. He offered kickbacks in the form of gift cards, plane tickets, trips to casinos and strip clubs as well as drugs.

The owner, Eric Snyder, and an associate were charged with fraudulently billing insurance companies for more than $50 million for false treatment and urine tests over nearly five years, the authorities said.

Bruce Alan Zimet, a lawyer for Mr. Snyder, said that his client had been cooperating with investigators since 2014. “We anticipate having additional communications with the government,” Mr. Zimet said, “and we’re hopeful they’ll be listening carefully and evaluating whether this is a case that should go forward or not.”

In New York, a Queens cardiologist was arrested at Kennedy Airport on Thursday and accused of engaging in kickback schemes with medical diagnostic facilities to whom he referred business. In Maine, an office manager was charged with embezzling funds from a medical office. In Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Texas and other states, people were charged in schemes involving the distribution of medically unnecessary drugs, including opioids.

Opioid addiction is an escalating public health crisis in America, with drug deaths rising faster than ever. Hydrocodone and oxycodone, two powerful opioids, are among the most commonly abused prescription drugs, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 91 Americans die each day of an opioid-related overdose.


Mr. Sessions has emphasized cracking down on drug crime as a priority, directing the nation’s prosecutors in May to pursue the toughest charges for such crimes, even when they may carry mandatory minimum prison sentences.

Last year, the fraud task force charged 301 people for some $900 million in false billings. Since its creation a decade ago, it has charged more than 3,500 people for what prosecutors said were over $12.5 billion in false billings.

“Thanks to these efforts, fewer criminals will be able to exploit our nation’s opioid crisis for their own gain,” said Tom Price, the secretary of health and human services. He cited the Trump administration’s budget request for a $70 million investment in the health care fraud control program as a sign of its commitment to rooting out such crimes.

“I know we overuse certain words in the lexicon like unprecedented and historic and unique,” said Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who cited an estimated 59,000 deaths from drug overdoses in the United States last year. “But this is an epidemic.”



https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/us/politics/health-care-fraud.html