Re: Lyme Alliance

From: GregGerber (gregorygerber_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 02/08/05 

Date: 8 Feb 2005 02:04:39 -0800

As long as we are on this topic I have a couple of questions I have
never had answered. First of all, during the whole Natole fiasco and
his trial, there remained unresolved the issue of the kickback money
(okay so some call it referral money) from Caremark, the infusion
company. The two issues --overtreatment of Lyme and kickbacks from
Caremark-- were dissociated from each other by the courts. After the
Lyme trial was over, the kickback charges still remained.

Natole settled the Caremark kickback charges out of court, eventually,
sometime after the Lyme trial. Does anyone know the terms of the
settlement? I have not found it in public domain.

Also, in terms of monies, I have a question regarding a much larger
amount of money than anything that might or might not be left in the
Lyme Alliance coffers. Natole's contract entitled him to 53% of
payments made to Caremark by Blue Cross/Blue Shield and other insurers.
  Natole said he was using the Caremark referral fees to set up a fund
for patients and research.

This amounts to many tens thousands of dollars, probably more --figure
it out. Whatever happened to the money Natole received from Caremark?
Did he ever actually establish a fund with the monies, and if so, what
did it do? Is there any evidence for the establishment of the fund
Natole and his supporters kept referring to. I have never seen any. If
not, did Natole get to keep the referral money from Caremark in his
personal bank account? Did he use it for his defense? For kids college
expense? What?

The few hundred dollars the Lyme Alliance may or may not have left over
is truly trivial next to this large, never-answered question from the
annals of Lyme history. I wish the Lyme Alliance itself could have
answered these questions but alas, it is now a task left to the rabble
on sci.med.

Does anyone have any insight?

Gregory Gerber

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Lyme Alliance
    ... >> My understanding is that Lyme Alliance was well aware that Natole was ... >> taking referral fees, but were okay with it because they were told ... > being charged) to give the money to Lyme research, ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: Lyme Alliance
    ... In the early 1990s Natole had about 250 Lyme patients, many on IV, ... It was an uproar over Caremark, in general, that brought Natole to ... Natole's stance on Lyme disease. ... He thereafter no longer treated Lyme patients. ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: Lyme Alliance
    ... > Lyme trial was over, ... > Natole settled the Caremark kickback charges out of court, ... Because when doctors take kickbacks, assuming that Natole did and I do ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: Lyme Alliance
    ... >> for the Amicus Brief from the patient community when they knew these ... >> funds were still outstanding. ... >> of the controversy, though Natole was told it wasn't illegal, I ... was an effort to aid all Lyme patients and their doctors, ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: Lyme Alliance
    ... > My understanding is that Lyme Alliance was well aware that Natole was ... > taking referral fees, but were okay with it because they were told ... pay "referral fees" to other lawyers who refer cases to them (it is ... But IF it was legal at the time, and IF Natole had promised (before ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
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