School Super commits fraud

[indyjs]

I would have been fired. But different penalties i guess.
All charges to be dropped after one year staying out of trouble

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...d-own-insurance-help-sick-student/2664294002/


An Indiana school superintendent who allegedly used her own insurance to help a sick student faces multiple charges including insurance fraud.

Casey Smitherman — superintendent of Elwood Community Schools in Elwood, Indiana — was booked on charges of insurance fraud, identity deception and official misconduct on Wednesday and later released on bail, according to court records.

Smitherman says the charges come after she recently went to the home of a student who had missed school and saw he had symptoms of strep throat. After the student was refused treatment at a clinic, she took him to another one, this time saying he was her son.

"I am committed to this community and our students, and I regret if this action has undermined your trust in me," Smitherman said in a statement published by Fox 59. "From the beginning, my ultimate goal has been to provide the best environment for Elwood students’ growth physically, mentally and academically, and I remain focused on that purpose."

Smitherman had an Amoxicillin prescription filled for the 15-year-old student in her son's name, the station reports, citing court documents.

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Smitherman told police that she was concerned about the student when he was not at school earlier this month and that she had previously helped him by buying clothes for him and helping to clean his home, WISH-TV reports.

A claim for a medical visit where the boy was diagnosed with a sore throat was valued at $233, the station reports citing medical records.

In a Wednesday statement, Smitherman says she plans to enter a diversion program, which would allow for the dismissal of the charges if she avoids further arrests in the coming year.

Smitherman has received support from the school board's president.

Wonder where the parents are ?

 

[hoosierdoc]

If only that superintendent knew strep doesn’t need antibiotics

 

[Kutnupe14]

She broke the law, and I'm not mad at her.

 

[eldirector]

If she would have just paid cash, she could have avoided insurance fraud charges and still "helped" the child.

Hard to trust someone that knowingly and intentionally lies and cheats, even if it is for an otherwise good reason, when there are perfectly legal and "moral" ways to accomplish the exact same thing. Theft is wrong, even if the money ends up in the church's collection plate (for example).

 

[Kutnupe14]

If she would have just paid cash, she could have avoided insurance fraud charges and still "helped" the child.

Hard to trust someone that knowingly and intentionally lies and cheats, even if it is for an otherwise good reason, when there are perfectly legal and "moral" ways to accomplish the exact same thing. Theft is wrong, even if the money ends up in the church's collection plate (for example).

I wonder if the woman considered her actions to be theft, at least in the classic sense; not as a choice to deprive, but to help another. I think that's a significant difference.

 

[HoughMade]

...Wonder where the parents are ?

The real question of the day.

If only that superintendent knew strep doesn’t need antibiotics

There’s that.

This is a classic case of heart in the right place, head no where near it. In the end, she lied in order to get someone else to pay for this treatment. She would be fully in the right to pay for it herself and would be a wonderful person. She didn’t. She cared enough to try to get treatment and that’s great as far as it goes, but as reported, this is fraud that she knowingly committed in order to use someone else’s money, not her own.

There’s a place for mercy here, but she wasn’t “right”.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I wonder if the woman considered her actions to be theft, at least in the classic sense; not as a choice to deprive, but to help another. I think that's a significant difference.

Poor woman probably had no credit card with which to use her own (non stolen) resources to help the child.

She wanted to help, just completely whiffed in how to do it.

If only she was taking a female to get treated for gonorrhea or the morning after pill, then it would be OK.

 

[Libertarian01]

My general thought is she should be slammed with the full force of the law.

What if the kids parents were of a religious order that didn't approve of modern medicine?

What if the kid were allergic to amoxicillin?

What if the kid had other issues that this treatment could interfere with?

What if the kids parents were involved, knew antibiotics wouldn't help, and were applying other treatments, like, uh, staying home and resting without going out in the cold?

This is why the authority of the parents should be sacrosanct unless and until an unbiased court were to rule otherwise.

But hey, I'm mean.

Regards,

Doug

 

[MCgrease08]

If only that superintendent knew strep doesn’t need antibiotics

What is the appropriate treatment for strep? I feel like last time my kid had it we were prescribed antibiotics.

 

[ATOMonkey]

It sometimes boggles my mind that people think the only way they can pay medical bills is with insurance.

What do they think people did before insurance, or do they believe insurance has always existed?

 

[Mark-DuCo]

What is the appropriate treatment for strep? I feel like last time my kid had it we were prescribed antibiotics.

I was told I had strep throat about 2 years ago and was prescribed Penicillin. It worked for me. Maybe my Dr. was wrong though.

 

[churchmouse]

She broke the law, and I'm not mad at her.

In this case no. Not even slightly upset.

But like Doc said up thread.....

 

[churchmouse]

It sometimes boggles my mind that people think the only way they can pay medical bills is with insurance.

What do they think people did before insurance, or do they believe insurance has always existed?

Correct but before insurance you did not need a personal loan for treatment.

 

[historian]

My general thought is she should be slammed with the full force of the law.

What if the kids parents were of a religious order that didn't approve of modern medicine?

What if the kid were allergic to amoxicillin?

What if the kid had other issues that this treatment could interfere with?

What if the kids parents were involved, knew antibiotics wouldn't help, and were applying other treatments, like, uh, staying home and resting without going out in the cold?

This is why the authority of the parents should be sacrosanct unless and until an unbiased court were to rule otherwise.

But hey, I'm mean.

Regards,

Doug

Yeah. After living in Muncie for 11 years, including a stint at the Bus Company, I have had to rethink a lot of my positions on parental rights. The amount of unfit parents out there boggles the mind.

That being said, as other said, there were other ways than committing insurance fraud.

 

[Fargo]

If I were to guess, she probably checked him in under her sons name since he was a minor and they probably weren’t going to provide care without a parental consent. That is probably why he was refused treatment at the first clinic.

Once checked in under her sons name, she was probably scared to tell them not to use the insurance, because she knew it would red flag her previous lie. She very well may not have considered this until it was too late.

I don’t think the reason she let it go to insurance was because she was concerned about paying for it out of pocket. I think she was worried that they were going to find out that she was getting care for a minor who was not her child. It is entirely possible that she didn’t consider the insurance issues until it was too late, particularly if her son was on file at the clinic.

At the end of the day, you can’t be doing what she did, but I don’t hate her at all for it.

 

[littletommy]

As Hough said, her heart was in the right place, just didn’t think it through very well. I don’t think for a minute the lady went about it saying “I’m really gonna stick it to these chumps”, but that’s the issue I have with the story.... I would expect a superintendent of a school system to maybe have some more solid problem solving skills.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Correct but before insurance you did not need a personal loan for treatment.

Very true. You're care wasn't as good either though, soooo....

I have spent extensive time on the receiving end of medical treatment, and even in just my 20 years or so, there have been incredible increases in the level of care that is now considered to be standard.

In my experience, it's definitely a "you get what you pay for" type of thing.

 

[KMaC]

Its easier to be helpful and supportive of someone in need if you are using someone else's money. She basically gave the kid a ride to the doctor.
Thank you for taking care of a kid that seems to have worthless parents but please use your own money.
She's a school superintendent probably making in excess of $100,000. Maybe far more.

 

[ATOMonkey]

If I were to guess, she probably checked him in under her sons name since he was a minor and they probably weren’t going to provide care without a parental consent. That is probably why he was refused treatment at the first clinic.

Once checked in under her sons name, she was probably scared to tell them not to use the insurance, because she knew it would red flag her previous lie. She very well may not have considered this until it was too late.

I don’t think the reason she let it go to insurance was because she was concerned about paying for it out of pocket. I think she was worried that they were going to find out that she was getting care for a minor who was not her child. It is entirely possible that she didn’t consider the insurance issues until it was too late, particularly if her son was on file at the clinic.

At the end of the day, you can’t be doing what she did, but I don’t hate her at all for it.

I hadn't thought of that. I blame all the rules and controls that people have put in place on medicine.

 

[Kutnupe14]

More:

https://www.indystar.com/story/news...yik-ftd90TxBRaTBwJercLtIqLgsUzEcXHLF-xomLtaOY