Corporations screwed the government during Katrina evacuations

[babylonsister]

Audit: Feds paid too much in evacuations
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November 4, 2007

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas --A medical transport service overcharged the federal government nearly $2 million to evacuate sick or injured people during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a government audit found.

CareFlite billed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $5.7 million for transporting 810 patients in six months, according to an audit by the agency's inspector general.

The contract called for CareFlite to arrange transportation "in the most economical fashion, using subcontractors if necessary," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Sunday. The contract remains in effect.

The audit said there were times Grand Prairie-based CareFlite used its own aircraft to transport evacuees when it could have looked for less expensive transportation. The average cost for patient transport when CareFlite used its own plane was $18,200. For subcontractors, the average cost was $7,783, the audit said.

more...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/04/audit_says_fed_overcharged_for_evacuees/

[Az]

1. Why the surprise?

Corporations do what Corporations are designed to do. Maximize profits.

[ixion]

2. not the government... We, the People were screwed

as we are always screwed, while our 'leaders' lead lives of royalty. :grr:

[sam sarrha]

4. this was so pervasive it looks like a RICO conspiracy, was there word out it was ok,? i heard of

truckers contacting their congressmen about having picked up ice, to cool medicines and critical relief, in say texas and hauling it to Rhode
Island and sitting on an abandoned air strip till it melted then doing it again

they were pissed of and refused to do it again and were fired

[Skidmore]

3. The government let the corporations screw the people.

[charlie]

5. Corporations ARE the gov't

Or at least, they've become so symbiotic it's hard to tell which is who anymore.

[malaise]

6. CareFlite?

Who are the Texas connections to Bushco here?