Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Dope Smok’n Largo Psych in Trouble with the Department of Health

Sep 20th, 2011 | By admin | Category: Drug Use, Joel Voss

Largo Psychiatrist
Ronald Lee Knaus

Psych News
By Joel Voss

Largo, Florida psychiatrist Ronald Knaus was arrested on July 2, 2010 in nearby Clearwater for possession of marijuana. The police initially approached him due to a handgun in his waistband, per the police report. He pleaded no-contest in open court and was sentenced.

But the story does not end there. In Florida, all licensed health care professionals must report any and all criminal cases against them to the Florida Department of Health within 30 days unless they are acquitted or the charges are dismissed. Also, all physicians must update their profile on the department’s website to reflect any criminals convictions.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Tampa, Florida Chapter found out about Knaus’s case and reported it to the department.

Earlier this month the Florida Department of Health filed their own administrative complaint against him, charging Knaus with withholding his drug case and not updating his online profile on their website. They are seeking discipline ranging from fines to revocation of his license.

In March 2008 a mother attacked her 15 year old son with a dagger and drywall knife at Kanus’ clinic at 1301 Seminole Blvd, Bldg B, Suite 112 in Largo.
The boy survived but was hospitalized. Knaus’ clinic was hired to provide a safe & supervised visitation of the mother and son. The boy’s father filed a lawsuit that is ongoing at this time.

Knaus was reported to be one of the Kings of the Baker Act, the Florida law governing involuntary commitment. It was reported in 1995 by the St Petersburg Times that Knaus was one of 3 psychiatrists in Pinellas County, Florida that accounted for half of the all involuntary commitments to mental hospitals in the county. Knaus committed people to a hospital that he was an investor in, the report stated.

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What is Single Payer?

Single-payer is a term used to describe a type of financing system. It refers to one entity acting as administrator, or “payer.” In the case of health care, a single-payer system would be setup such that one entity—a government run organization—would collect all health care fees, and pay out all health care costs. In the current US system, there are literally tens of thousands of different health care organizations—HMOs, billing agencies, etc. By having so many different payers of health care fees, there is an enormous amount of administrative waste generated in the system. (Just imagine how complex billing must be in a doctor’s office, when each insurance company requires a different form to be completed, has a different billing system, different billing contacts and phone numbers—it’s very confusing.) In a single-payer system, all hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers would bill one entity for their services. This alone reduces administrative waste greatly, and saves money, which can be used to provide care and insurance to those who currently don’t have it.

What is Single Audit?

Each year, the Federal Government provides over $400 billion in grants to State, local and tribal governments, colleges, universities and other non-profit organizations (non-Federal entities). The Single Audit Act of 1984 (with amendment in 1996) and OMB Circular A-133 ("Audits of State, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations") provide audit requirements for ensuring that these funds are expended properly. All non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more of Federal awards in a year ($300,000 for fiscal year ending on or before December 30, 2003) are required to obtain an annual audit in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (pdf), OMB Circular A-133, the OMB Circular Compliance Supplement and Government Auditing Standards. A single audit is intended to provide a cost-effective audit for non-Federal entities in that one audit is conducted in lieu of multiple audits of individual programs. The Single Audit provides the Federal government with assurance that these recipients comply with such directives by having anindependent external source (the CPA) report on such compliance.

OMB Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement 2009

Health Care Fraud Enforcement

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Dope Smok’n Largo Psych in Trouble with the Department of Health

Dope Smok’n Largo Psych in Trouble with the Department of Health

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