(not satire – it’s the UK today!)

UPDATE: There will be a day of action across the UK against Maximus on the 2nd of March – more details here: Your all-in-one guide to the Maximus Day of Action

The coalition government has chosen a VERY controversial US private company to run its new health assessment service to be called the Health and Work Service.

In march, a US firm called Maximus will take over from discredited French firm ATOS to carry out fitness-to-work assessments for disabled and sick benefits recipients.

And from this month any employee who is sick enough to have to claim sick leave from work for more than 4 weeks will be assessed – mostly by phone – by employees of MAXIMUS.

Apart from the ludicrous assumption that sick people can be assessed over the telephone, for some reason, when the UK government decided to hand the lucrative contract to run the service over to MAXIMUS, they also decided to ignore the numerous scandals that have embroiled the company in the US.

Here are just a few examples:

Lawmakers lash out at Maximus for questionable expenses payments

Medical workers allowed to keep practising despite failing drug, alcohol tests

Managers File Race Discrimination Complaints Against Maximus Inc

Maximus to pay back $500,000

Federal Agency Finds Workfare Contractor Violated Wage Law

Maximus Pay $50,000 for Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

Maximus Settles Fraud Case for $30.5 Million

Consultant’s advice could cost state tens of millions

Maximus settles Medicaid complaint

$2.5 Million Settlement Of Contract Dispute Over Computer System Update

Auditors: State owes $22.8 million for improper Medicaid billings

MAXIMUS also likes to give a LOT of money to right-wing politicians in the US – especially ones who are keen to hand over massive state or federal contracts to it.

Why is it that politicians in the UK always seem to LOVE copying all the worst aspects of US politics?

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Thanks to DPAC and specifically Anita Bellows and George Berger for the heads up on this.

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