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Replying to Thread: Thomas Curtis, MD
Created On Friday 3, June, 2005 1:21 PM by woolseylaw


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woolseylaw
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Friday June 03, 2005 1:21 PM

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There is a rumor that the psychiatrist, Thomas Curtis, MD was arrested today and charged with Workers' Compensation fraud. Does anyone know if there is truth to this?

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majones
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Friday June 03, 2005 3:59 PM

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If it's true, let's blessed the people responsible!!

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bhinden
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Monday June 06, 2005 9:38 AM

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Before you defense-oriented folks gleefully "dogpile" on this rumor, according to the news story on this site posted this morning all that has happened so far is that the LA DA's office served a warrant (almost certainly a search warrant, not an arrest warrant) at Dr. Curtis' office.

More importantly, much as one may disagree with Dr. Curtis' diagnoses, treatment practices, disability recommendations, etc., actual WC fraud is not so easily proven. Unless there is proof of fraudulent billing practices, I doubt that the apparent investigation will lead to anything significant. If fraud could be proven just because Dr. Curtis routinely diagnoses and treats psyche conditions caused by work-related injuries, then defense "wash out" doctors like a certain infamous psychiatrist in Beverly Hills or another one who runs a group of psychiatrists in Torrance would be equally susceptible to prosecution for never finding any psyche injury in any WC case, no matter what happened.

-------------------------
Charles R. Rondeau
Graiwer & Kaplan

Edited: Monday June 06, 2005 at 9:39 AM by bhinden

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bheath55
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Monday June 06, 2005 10:28 AM

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Geez slow down a bit. At this point we have no idea what this is all about and an ad hominum attack on defense doctors seems at best overkill. Let's wait and see if this goes anywhere before nominating Dr. Curtis for sainthood.

Edited: Monday June 06, 2005 at 10:30 AM by bheath55

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bhinden
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Monday June 06, 2005 2:47 PM

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I didn't nominate anyone for sainthood, but the person who posted before me on this thread sure did: those responsible for the Curtis investigation. My point is that there are no saints in WC.

-------------------------
Charles R. Rondeau
Graiwer & Kaplan

Edited: Monday June 06, 2005 at 2:48 PM by bhinden

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slyaian@charter.net
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Tuesday June 07, 2005 10:26 AM

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Thanks, you hit the nail on the head. There are no Saints in W/C. I have seen a lot of unethical practices, before becoming an I/W, and while I was a Reg. Nurse. Dr. C. must have been an applicant's doctor.

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sloncaric
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Wednesday June 08, 2005 8:05 AM

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I felt compelled to respond to this thread. The LA DA would not have taken this case unless they thought they had enough evidence to move forward. I am all to familiar with another agency submitting a case to the LA DA, a case that should have been prosecuted and they rejected it, so their bar is much higher that most I would suspect.

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tjfujii@scif.com
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Wednesday June 08, 2005 9:40 AM

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Edited: Friday August 05, 2005 at 7:04 PM by tjfujii@scif.com

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bheath55
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Wednesday June 08, 2005 9:40 AM

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Edited: Wednesday June 22, 2005 at 4:56 PM by bheath55

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tjfujii@scif.com
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Wednesday June 08, 2005 9:45 AM

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Edited: Friday August 05, 2005 at 7:04 PM by tjfujii@scif.com

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majones
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Wednesday June 08, 2005 11:06 AM

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I had a back injury case in which I knew the claimant was suffering from back pain so her injury was not in question. She was overweight and involved in a formal weight loss program which I agreed to. No exaggeration: Dr. Curtis gave prescriptions totalling $ 2300.00 (on the same day) for prescription meds and natural supplements for depression, fat burning, anxiety, sleep, high cholesterol, antacids, etc. He had her taking 2 rx meds and three supplements just for depression. I'm sure this lady rattled when she walked with all the pills she was taking.

M

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kinsey@socal.rr.com
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Thursday June 09, 2005 7:40 AM

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here is what I heard ... the whole issue surrouding Curits (and I also her Dr Waldman is in trouble and allegedly left the country) is billing practices. allegedly, Dr Curtis was charging for an hour of face to face time and accordng to records, he was seeing more than 40 patients or so a day (iwhich of course is impossible) he was also allegedly billing for services never rendered. And so was Waldman.

Of course the word here is "allegedly"

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imgbarbaras@covad.net
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Thursday June 09, 2005 8:57 AM

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Dr. ? Waldman? Do you know the full name?

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kinsey@socal.rr.com
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Thursday June 09, 2005 9:54 AM

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Stephen I believe - he works with Curtis, Nagelberg, Sobol, Capen... the usual "all star cast"

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bhinden
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Thursday June 09, 2005 10:05 PM

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If it is proven that any doctor is really engaged in fraudulent billing, they deserve to be prosecuted. Trouble is, if the essence of the case against Dr. Curtis is that he billed more "face time" than would be possible to actually spend in one 24 hour day, then just about all med-legal examiners better be worried ... not to mention some defense attorneys. One of the dirty little secrets of WC is that "double billing" is rampant. "Double billing" is just a term of art. Sometimes, it actually comes out to quadruple or quintuple billing!! We are representing a former defense firm employee, and the stories he tells about their billing practices ... In addition, there is just no way that many defense mills (and one in particular comes to mind who has been Dr. Curtis' long-time "opposite number" on hundreds, if not thousands, of case) as well as many of the "trusted" (and thus very busy) AME's can spend as much "face time" in any given day with applicants as they bill defendants. At least phony billing is one evil A/A's can't be accused of!

On another note, here are MY nominations for the "all star cast": Nathan, Savodnik, Sanders, Fell, L. Silver, L. Woods, anyone with Parthenia Medical Group. Need I go on?

-------------------------
Charles R. Rondeau
Graiwer & Kaplan

Edited: Friday June 10, 2005 at 7:21 AM by bhinden

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majones
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Friday June 10, 2005 7:25 AM

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I have to agree with Dr. Silver. I was thrilled with a report he issued on a claimant with a minor injury who was exaggerating. However, when I sent a truly injured worker to him for an honest opinion, the report was almost identical to the prior case. Needless to say, I've never used him again except for treatment. Abuse is everywhere and it stinks that it has to be this way.

M

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Amethyst
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Friday June 10, 2005 9:20 PM

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Mr. Rondeau -

The doctors you're talking about are not "opposite numbers." Neither are they applicant or defense doctors in the real sense of the terms. They're just out for themselves and I doubt that any of them cares much for either applicants or defendants. It's just a matter of how they're able to get referrals and what they have to do to keep getting those referrals so they work hard to convince conscientious attorneys like yourself that they're really on the side of your clients. And as far as phony billing is concerned, yes, there are applicants' attorneys who belong to the same club and grossly pad petitions for voc rehab attorney fees. As long as insurance companies willingly pay these doctors, we're going to have a hard time getting rid of them.

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bhinden
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Saturday June 11, 2005 9:27 AM

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Hi, there, Amethyst.

I don't quite understand your point about the "all star" docs whose names have thusfar appeared on this thread. Perhaps you could elaborate. I understand that there are doctors in the system who are "in it for themselves". That goes without saying, but as to the balance of your comments ... .

I know that you're on the claims side, but you said nothing about defense doctor / attorney "double billing".

On the issue of voc rehab fees, come on, please. That's really "small potatoes". The average fees my firm receives (excluding fees on "delay rate" VRMA when defendants fail to comply with their statutory notice and other requirements) is between $600 (if the Applicant elects for a self-employment plan) to about $1,500 (if a retraining program is the choice). For that relatively meager compensation, we have take care of meeting with the QRR's, dealing with all of the applicant's related issues like getting their rehab mileage, etc., compensated, often filing RU-103's when disputes arise such as to "cap start dates". It's not "found money", believe me.

-------------------------
Charles R. Rondeau
Graiwer & Kaplan

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Amethyst
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Sunday June 12, 2005 9:20 AM

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You're undoubtedly a very smart man. I don't think my comments really need elaboration.

I can also see you belong to the "two wrongs make a right" school of ethical thought.

As for "small potatoes," it all depends on your point of view. In terms of the impact on the client's life, an applicant's attoney who rips $500 off his client by padding a petition for rehab attorney fees does greater harm than a defense attorney who rips $5,000 off an insurance company by padding a bill for legal services, even if it's just chump change for the attorney.

You may not do it, but there are those who do, and it's wrong no matter who else might be doing what to whom.

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tjfujii@scif.com
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Sunday June 12, 2005 10:40 AM

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Edited: Friday August 05, 2005 at 7:05 PM by tjfujii@scif.com

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