Lost My Job and Doubting Myself

[Gaining Strength]

Bones - for now keep your focus on healing.  That nightmare is out of your hands.  Let it go as best you can.  It is toxic contamination.  Keep cleansing yoursel from that poison.  They have already damaged you enough.  Now you are free from the daily ingestion of toxins. 

I know you are concerned about how they are poisoning those who need help but right now you are not able to efect a change there.  Focus on healing so that when you are whole you can contribute fully.

Yours - Gaining Strenth

[Stormchild]

Bones - did they fire you because they thought you were blowing the whistle? Because if they did, you may have one heck of a lawsuit against them.

If you blew the whistle about fraud of any kind involving the government - Medicare? Medicaid?  you may also have one heck of a lawsuit under qui tam provisions.

http://www.workplacefairness.org/falseclaimsact

http://www.allaboutquitam.org/

http://www.whistleblowerfirm.com/faq.html

http://www.quitam.com/barg2.html

http://www.weitzlux.com/quitamlawsuit/protectionagainstretaliation_339407.html

Here's the money quote - quite literally:

"The False Claims Act stipulates that whistleblowers be rewarded  with a percentage of the money that the government recovers as a result of their qui tam  lawsuits. This provision helps encourage people to assist the government in stopping  Medicare fraud, defense fraud and other kinds of fraud despite the effect whistleblowing  might have on their jobs and personal lives.

Under the False Claims Act the government  may recover up to three times the amount of money it lost as a result of the defendant's fraud. The relator's share is calculated based upon the amount the government recovers,  not the actual losses.

A number of factors determine how much money a whistleblower (or "relator")  will receive if the government is able to recover money from the defendant. If the  government joins the case, the relator is entitled to at least 15 percent but not more  than 25 percent of what the government recovers. If the government declines to join the  case and the relator proceeds against the defendant anyway, the relator is entitled to at  least 25 percent but not more than 30 percent of the money the government recovers.

In cases that do settle before trial, the settlement is typically less than three times  the loss. After all, if the government demands that the defendant pay the maximum possible  amount, the defendant might as well take a chance and go to trial. If you have a good case, you should expect that it will settle for something less than triple the amount of  the government's losses."

Now, I am not saying you should do this, but I am saying - you may have recourse that you are unaware of, and they may well be on the ropes and not even know it. You might benefit from discussing the situation with a qui tam lawyer; they will often take these cases on contingency, when they're clearcut enough, and you might find that your former employer pays your pension in a way neither of you anticipated.

Edit in -- if nothing else, consider how empowering it may be simply to discover that you are not, in fact, utterly at the mercy of the merciless in this situation!

[Bones]

Bones - for now keep your focus on healing.  That nightmare is out of your hands.  Let it go as best you can.  It is toxic contamination.  Keep cleansing yoursel from that poison.  They have already damaged you enough.  Now you are free from the daily ingestion of toxins. 

I know you are concerned about how they are poisoning those who need help but right now you are not able to efect a change there.  Focus on healing so that when you are whole you can contribute fully.

Yours - Gaining Strenth

Thanks, GS.

Since I was dismissed, I applied for unemployment.  I just got a letter regarding a telephone appointment with the Unemployment Insurance people scheduling a conference call with me on Tuesday morning with my former employer where they will challenge my right to apply for unemployment.

Bones

[Bones]

Bones - did they fire you because they thought you were blowing the whistle? Because if they did, you may have one heck of a lawsuit against them.

If you blew the whistle about fraud of any kind involving the government - Medicare? Medicaid?  you may also have one heck of a lawsuit under qui tam provisions.

http://www.workplacefairness.org/falseclaimsact

http://www.allaboutquitam.org/

http://www.whistleblowerfirm.com/faq.html

http://www.quitam.com/barg2.html

http://www.weitzlux.com/quitamlawsuit/protectionagainstretaliation_339407.html

Here's the money quote - quite literally:

"The False Claims Act stipulates that whistleblowers be rewarded  with a percentage of the money that the government recovers as a result of their qui tam  lawsuits. This provision helps encourage people to assist the government in stopping  Medicare fraud, defense fraud and other kinds of fraud despite the effect whistleblowing  might have on their jobs and personal lives.

Under the False Claims Act the government  may recover up to three times the amount of money it lost as a result of the defendant's fraud. The relator's share is calculated based upon the amount the government recovers,  not the actual losses.

A number of factors determine how much money a whistleblower (or "relator")  will receive if the government is able to recover money from the defendant. If the  government joins the case, the relator is entitled to at least 15 percent but not more  than 25 percent of what the government recovers. If the government declines to join the  case and the relator proceeds against the defendant anyway, the relator is entitled to at  least 25 percent but not more than 30 percent of the money the government recovers.

In cases that do settle before trial, the settlement is typically less than three times  the loss. After all, if the government demands that the defendant pay the maximum possible  amount, the defendant might as well take a chance and go to trial. If you have a good case, you should expect that it will settle for something less than triple the amount of  the government's losses."

Now, I am not saying you should do this, but I am saying - you may have recourse that you are unaware of, and they may well be on the ropes and not even know it. You might benefit from discussing the situation with a qui tam lawyer; they will often take these cases on contingency, when they're clearcut enough, and you might find that your former employer pays your pension in a way neither of you anticipated.

Edit in -- if nothing else, consider how empowering it may be simply to discover that you are not, in fact, utterly at the mercy of the merciless in this situation!

At the time of my dismissal, I hadn't blown the whistle yet.  I contacted the licensing board after my dismissal to ask questions regarding several concerns I have.  When I started describing my experiences, as a trainee, the board rep had a fit!  She was the one who advised me to write down as much as I could recollect and send it to her, which I have already done.  The rest is up to the state I reside in.

Bones

[Stormchild]

Thanks for the clarification, Bones.

Based on what I see you saying, it's quite possible that you asked enough pertinent and probing questions during your training that you were considered a 'bad risk' and were pre-emptively dismissed - because they could tell you WOULD blow the whistle, if you knew enough!

I have seen this happen, in a different professional arena. I've also been hounded out of jobs because I saw things and wouldn't let them lie. It does sound as though you have some standing re qui tam, I do hope you will be kept informed of what the state board decides to do.

Good luck. I also hope you can see that you have done nothing wrong; you were, in all likelihood, punished for wanting to do things RIGHT.

[Bones]

Thanks for the clarification, Bones.

Based on what I see you saying, it's quite possible that you asked enough pertinent and probing questions during your training that you were considered a 'bad risk' and were pre-emptively dismissed - because they could tell you WOULD blow the whistle, if you knew enough!

I have seen this happen, in a different professional arena. I've also been hounded out of jobs because I saw things and wouldn't let them lie. It does sound as though you have some standing re qui tam, I do hope you will be kept informed of what the state board decides to do.

Good luck. I also hope you can see that you have done nothing wrong; you were, in all likelihood, punished for wanting to do things RIGHT.

That sounds like an accurate description:  being "punished for wanting to do things RIGHT".  It's a sad state of affairs.  My emotions are still going all over the place.

Bones

[Stormchild]

support services link - may be helpful - I've come close to contacting these people myself:

http://www.soeken.lawsonline.net/

[Bones]

support services link - may be helpful - I've come close to contacting these people myself:

http://www.soeken.lawsonline.net/

Thanks, Stormchild.

I just got an e-mail from the Board Certification Coordinator who referred me to the Office of Health Care Quality.  I'm not quite sure how I should interpret that type of response.  I just hope I'm not going to be simply bounced around by apathetic bureaucrats.

Bones

[Gaining Strength]

Bones

Take care of yourself while you pursue this.  If you contact Office of Health Care Quality, do it because it feels empowering to make the contact. 

I just hope I'm not going to be simply bounced around by apathetic bureaucrats.

That seems like a legitimate concern.  Take strength in your willingness to act.  Don't base your sense of accomplishment on their response.

Take care - Gaining Strength

[Bones]

Bones

Take care of yourself while you pursue this.  If you contact Office of Health Care Quality, do it because it feels empowering to make the contact. 

I just hope I'm not going to be simply bounced around by apathetic bureaucrats.

That seems like a legitimate concern.  Take strength in your willingness to act.  Don't base your sense of accomplishment on their response.

Take care - Gaining Strength

Thanks, GS.

I called the Office of Health Care Quality earlier this afternoon and got the person's voice-mail.  I left a message but I don't know how long it will take for her to get back to me.  I'm also trying to figure out how to get a copy of my letter to her so we have a common point of reference to discuss.

At the same time, I still feel physically and emotionally drained while trying to take care of myself.

Bones

[Stormchild]

OHCQ might be their 'cops' branch, Bones. The names they cook up for these governmental things often don't reflect what the different things actually do.

They'd probably be willing to FAX you a copy of your letter back - if you have a Kinkos or a Parcel Plus or a UPS store or a Mailboxes etc. nearby you can receive FAXes there, they do keep them confidential. You pay, but if you don't have a fax at home, it's one solution.

[Bones]

OHCQ might be their 'cops' branch, Bones. The names they cook up for these governmental things often don't reflect what the different things actually do.

They'd probably be willing to FAX you a copy of your letter back - if you have a Kinkos or a Parcel Plus or a UPS store or a Mailboxes etc. nearby you can receive FAXes there, they do keep them confidential. You pay, but if you don't have a fax at home, it's one solution.

I still have my letter saved in my computer and I was able to find the e-mail address of the contact person at OHCQ.  Therefore, I went ahead and e-mailed her a copy of the letter that I e-mailed to the Board.  She still has not responded yet.

The Unemployment people called me this morning and asked me a LOT of questions.  They told me to expect an additional call on the afternoon of September 14th.  The stress of all of this has caused an abcess to let loose in one of my teeth and I can't afford a root canal at this time.  Dentists want a lump sum payment up front before they will submit the procedure to my dental insurance for payment....dental insurance that I'm paying out of my own pocket.  Urg!

Bones

[Gaining Strength]

Back to basics on caring for yourself Bones.  Stress can wreak havoc on your health.  Exercise, eating well and sleep can boost your immune system which you need to help fight that abcess.  You can't completely extricate yourself from the stress you are in but minimalize it where you can.  Thinking of you with love and kindness - Gaining Strength

[Certain Hope]

Dear Bones,
 
  Big hugs to you. I echo what Gaining Strength has said... and one small suggestion ~ perhaps a family doc would prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection and prevent it from spreading. Keeping you in prayer,
Hope

[teartracks]

Bones,

It is uplifting to read along here and see how you've started punching your way through all the misery caused from losing your job.  Things are sounding better and better aren't they?  I know jumping through all the hoops to right what is wrong is no fun, but just for you, I'm sending some cute little scissors to cut through all that red tape!  Good show!  On your side...

teartracks
PS  Yes, go to the doctor and get that antibiotic for the aching tooth.