Scam Number: 888-264-1211 (Inteliquent, callers may be presented with the Scammistani National Anthem)
Scammer’s Website or Email: Text message from spoofed toll-free number
Additional information about this scam: Answers as the “insurance marketplace,” “strategic health partners,” or the “multi-service re-enrollment center for the state.” They will then falsely claim the payment on your last monthly premium failed and ask for your billing address and credit/debit card details.
I, of course, gave them false information to see how far I could go down the rabbit hole, and Art was thankful enough to reveal the actual identity of their agency as MultiCare Health System, Inc., a fraudulent not-for-profit organization that serves multiple locations in the state of Washington. They have a grade of D- on the Better Business Bureau alongside several complaints regarding
- Refusing to add the patients’ insurance plans to their system
- Requiring pre-payments for treatments they falsely claimed would be “covered in full”
- Suddenly cancelling appointments and refusing to reschedule.
- Charging for phone calls without consent for workers’ comp claims and refusing to correct them.
The Tacoma-based hospital system has been sued by the United States Dept. of Justice and the state of Washington for violating the False Claims Act by endangering patient safety and fraudulently billing federal healthcare programs for spinal surgery procedures by Jason Dreyer between 2019 and 2021.
- Dreyer resigned from his position as a neurosurgeon for St. Mary’s Medical Center in 2019 over allegations that he was performing medically-unnecessary surgeries, harming patients and falsifying diagnoses.
- Aware of these red flags, MultiCare hired Dreyer to perform a high volume of surgeries and make significant revenue at their Deaconess hospital, placing him on an incentive compensation structure.
- Through their conduct, MultiCare allegedly endangered patients and fraudulently claimed and received reimbursement for millions of dollars from Medicare, Washington State Medicaid, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, TRICARE and the Federal Employee Health Benefits program.
The company was also sued by Jumapili Ikuseghan for violating the Telephone Consumer Protections Act in 2016 and was ordered by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle to pay
- $750,000 in attorneys fees
- $26,986 in expenses
- $15,000 in an incentive reward for Ikuseghan.
The case would later become a class-action settlement. Other notable lawsuits against MultiCare include
https://www.connelly-law.com/results/civil-rights-results/hensley/
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/wa-court-of-appeals/115093332.html
Associated Facebook Account - MultiCare Health System | Tacoma WA
Associated Instagram Account - https://www.instagram.com/multicarehealth/
Associated LinkedIn Account - MultiCare Health System | LinkedIn
Associated YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/multicarehealth
Associated Phone Numbers:
- (253) 403-1000 (CenturyLink landline)
- (253) 403-1261 (CenturyLink landline)
Associated Email Address - [email protected]