CMS updates RAC Schedule

CMS released an updated schedule of RAC roll out. The updated schedule can be found here: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/RAC/Downloads/CMS%20RAC%20review%20strategy.pdf

Note that Indiana is considered a yellow/green state.

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Hits Detroit

HHS issued a press release on 6/24/09 detailing the arrests of 53 physicians and healthcare executives. You can find the complete release at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/06/20090624a.html

Excerpts:

Today, federal agents from the FBI and the HHS Office of Inspector General
(HHS-OIG) began executing arrest warrants in Detroit, Miami and Denver as part
of a concentrated effort to address fraud in the metro-Detroit area. Charges
were unsealed today against 53 individuals who are accused of various Medicare
fraud offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, criminal
false claims and violations of the anti-kickback statutes. The Strike Force
operations in Detroit have identified two primary areas – infusion therapy and
physical/occupational therapy providers – in which schemes were allegedly
orchestrated to defraud the Medicare program.

According to the indictments, the defendants charged today participated in
schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were in fact medically
unnecessary and oftentimes, never provided. In many cases, indictments
allege that beneficiaries accepted cash kickbacks in return for allowing
providers to submit forms saying they had received the unnecessary and not
provided treatments. Collectively, the physicians, medical assistants,
patients, company owners and executives charged in the indictments are accused
of conspiring to submit more than $50 million in false claims to the Medicare
program.

Side-by-Side Healthcare Reform Proposal Comparisons

http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm

The Kaiser Family Foundation has created a website that will allow you to compare all the current healthcare reform proposals. It is at the link above. The website says that the information was last updated 6-16-09. Very interesting site.

APIC Study Finds Hospitals Are Cutting Back on Infection Prevention???

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology issued a press release on June 9th reporting its findings that hospitals are cutting back on the infection control/prevention function across the country.

You can download the press release here.

Excerpts:

The “2009 APIC Economic Survey” found that of nearly 2,000 infection preventionists who responded, 41 percent reported reductions in budgets for infection prevention in the last 18 months due primarily to the economic downturn.

According to the survey, three-quarters of those whose budgets were cut experienced decreases for the necessary education that trains healthcare personnel in preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as MRSA and C. difficile. Half saw reductions in overall budgets for infection prevention, including money for technology, staff, education, products, equipment and updated resources. Nearly 40 percent had layoffs or reduced hours, and a third experienced hiring freezes.

“Infection prevention departments at our nation’s healthcare facilities are severely understaffed and under-resourced,” said APIC CEO Kathy L. Warye. “Without enough trained professionals, funding and high-tech solutions that speed access to infection-related data, we are not going to continue to make progress in eliminating preventable infections. While cuts in staff, training and technology may ease budgets in the shortterm, the effect of increased infections will erode the bottom line over time, not to mention cause needless pain, suffering and death.”