Jasper County woman faces 3 felony counts in Medicaid fraud case.

Attorney General Chris Koster said today a Jasper County audiologist has been charged with 3 felony counts of Medicaid fraud. Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Dean Dankelson joined Koster in filing the charges against Dana Opfer, 38, who is charged with submitting false reimbursement claims to Medicaid for audiology services she did not perform, with the intention to defraud the state and MO HealthNet.

Koster said his Medicaid Fraud Unit’s review of Opfer’s subpoenaed records and Medicaid claims found evidence of billing for services and hearing devices that were not provided. He said Opfer allegedly has fraudulently billed more than $12,000 to Medicaid.

Opfer is charged with three Class C felonies, punishable by up to 7 years in prison for each violation, plus penalties and restitution.

"One of my top priorities as Attorney General is to enforce our laws against those who cheat Missouri taxpayers by committing Medicaid fraud," Koster said.

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Success Elusive for Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya’s presence in NASCAR is truly historic. He was recognized as one of the world’s great driving talents long before he strapped himself into a stock car.

In addition to his one Sprint Cup victory (at Infineon Raceway in 2007), Montoya also has won both the Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco. When he moved from Formula One to NASCAR, it was unprecedented.

Success hasn’t come easily for Montoya in NASCAR, where he has won only once in 126 starts. New Hampshire Motor Speedway was a disappointment after Montoya’s No. 42 Chevrolet started on the pole. He crashed after tangling with Reed Sorenson late in the Lenox 301 and was credited with 34th place.

"The teams are really competitive. ... It is hard. It is so competitive," said Montoya.

Montoya made the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year, but the odds are against him. With nine races remaining in the regular season, he is 22nd in points, 183 behind 12th place. The top 12 regular-season finishers make up the Chase field.

What’s frustrating for Montoya is his belief that the team is stronger this year than last.

"We are miles ahead right now," he said. "We have a much faster race car than what we had last year at this point.

"But we had a blown engine. We got together with our teammate. We’ve been involved in I don’t know how many wrecks from other people. ... We have been right behind the wrecks. We have been a row or two rows behind where they wreck, and they block the whole track and right there, you are just a passenger. We have had, like, seven of those this year."

Though Montoya is, by background, a road racer, racing a stock car on road courses didn’t come as easily as one might think.

"It’s crazy," he said, "because, for me, it’s awkward being in these cars on a road course. ... There’s just no grip. You know what I mean? ... It’s just different. Put it that way."

The Bogota, Colombia, native now lives in Miami. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 and the Grand Prix of Monaco in 2003. Montoya’s first NASCAR victory was a Nationwide Series race in Mexico City in 2007.

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Monte Dutton has covered motorsports for The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette since 1993. He was named writer of the year by the National Motorsports Press Association in 2008.

Kid came walkin’ by the house the other day. Stopped and asked if he could get a ride home. When asked what the problem was, he said he was just tired of walkin’.

I don’t know if he ever got a ride, but he was informed that the occupants of this house were a little busy at the time.

Now I don’t blame the kid for askin’, it just seemed an odd request seein’s how the house is in town.

There was a time, livin’ out in the country a few miles, when such a request would have been better received. Someone walkin’ in those circumstances might have been seen as more of a legitimate inquiry.

I hear tell that some folks walk five or ten miles on a regular basis just for the exercise. From the appearance of this youth, that might be somethin’ worth considerin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Tom: A few weeks ago, we answered a question rom Blair, the mother of a 16-year-old girl, who wanted to find a device that would heop her keep track of her "spirited" daughter’s driving.

Ray: We suggested a convent.

Tom: We actually suggested one of the Global Positioning System (GPS)-based black boxes that can track a driver’s speed and aggressiveness, and report violations to a parent instantly by e-mail or text message.

Ray: These devices are called Event Data Recorders (EDRs), and there are a number of them on the market.

Tom: But driving fast isn’t the only danger to new drivers. Cell phones provide a whole number of ways to crash a car.

Ray: Well, now there are cell-phone applications that you can install on you kid’s (or parent’s, or spouse’s) phone to cut down on these distractions.

Tom: They all work pretty much the same way. They use the phone’s GPS to determine when the phone is moving faster than walking speed. Then, it presumes, you’re driving.

Ray: Once the application senses that you’re moving at vehicle speed, it shuts down some or all aspects of the phone.

Tom: In all cases, once the car is stopped for a certain amount of time, the phone is released again to full function.

Ray: They all allow your to dial 911 anytime, and allow certain "emergency numbers," like parents’ numbers, to get through under all condiditions.

Tom: They’re not perfect, but they’re worth a look. Their names are iZup, CellSafety, ZoomSafer and TXTBlocker.