Friends of Rob Schaaf, that's what State Representative Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, calls his campaign committee. They may be his friends, but judging from the results of their relationship, they're not my friends and they're not your friends either.
Schaaf, the chairman of the House Special Committee on Healthcare Facilities, promises to gut a bill designed to eliminate Medicaid fraud if provisions that might cause problems for doctors are not removed from the legislation.
According to an article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
"Under the Senate-passed bill, Missouri would set up a system similar to one in Texas. Passing the bill, called a state False Claims Act, would put Missouri in line for federal financial incentives. So far, at least 16 states have taken that step.
"Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, sponsors the bill. He noted that last year, the state cut 90,000 low-income people from the Medicaid rolls. He said the state had an obligation to scrutinize providers, too.
"His bill would provide that whistle-blowers - insiders with information about cheating - could receive 20 to 35 percent of the money recovered. Tipsters could file civil suits, which would be sealed while the attorney general investigated the allegations.
"Whereas some states let whistle-blowers proceed with suits on their own, Koster's bill would provide that only cases chosen by the attorney general would go forward.
"Koster told the House committee that the whistle-blower provisions were the key to getting federal incentive payments.
"The federal government pays 60 percent of Medicaid's costs, so it usually takes 60 percent of funds recovered. But if the state passes a False Claims Act, the federal government would split the bounty with the state 50-50.
"That argument carried no weight with Schaaf. At Tuesday's hearing, the chairman told Koster: 'I could care less about that federal incentive.' "
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The problem and it is not an unusual one in our state legislature is the built-in conflict of interest Rob Schaaf has. Or perhaps I should refer to him as Dr. Rob Schaap, since in addition to his part-time job in the House he is a family physician.
He is also a family physician whose campaign war chest is lined with contributions from his friends, many of whom are his fellow doctors. During the last three months, Dr. Schaaf received $8,826 in contributions, according to documents filed in April with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Of the 30 contributions he received, only two, a $1,000 contribution from the Buchanan County Republican Central Committee, $300 from a restaurant owner and $300 from AT&T were from non-medical sources.
Schaaf picked up $7,225 from medical sources including the maximum $300 from the Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists, Professional Medical PAC, Missouri Medical PAC, Clayton Dermatology, Digestive Disease Specialists, Serenity Women's Healthcare, Supporters of Health Research and Treatments, Tri-County Medical Society, and Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc. The other donations came from individual physicians.
In his January quarterly filing with the Ethics Commission, Dr. Schaaf reported $6,000 in campaign contributions, with at least $3,500 coming from medical sources, and quite possibly more since some of those who donated are listed as "retired."
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According to the Post-Dispatch article, Schaaf's committee eliminated the most important parts of the Senate bill and lobbyists for the medical interests praised his committee's actions:
"On Tuesday, the hearing room overflowed with lobbyists for medical providers. Testimony came from trade groups for pharmacists, osteopaths and nursing homes. They told Schaaf they could live with the House version. 'We appreciate the deliberation that your committee has shown,' said Jon Dolan, a lobbyist for the nursing home industry.
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Rob Schaaf failed to stand up last year when the Medicaid proposals were designed to hurt his patients. This year, when he and his fellow physicians might have been slightly inconvenienced, the doctor is filled with righteous indignation. The Friends of Rob Schaaf are good friends indeed.
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