| Courts |
CEOs At Two LA-Area Medical Firms Indicted For Medicare Fraud
Two San Bernardino County, CA, medical company chief executive officers have been charged in a seven-count indictment for their alleged roles in a Medicare fraud scheme involving unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). Login to see complete story
12/17/2008 08:26 AM
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Prison Sentence Among Longest Ever Received By Physician In Medicare Fraud Case
A Miami physician and nurse have been sentenced to 30 years and seven years in prison, respectively, in connection with their roles in an $11 million HIV infusion fraud scheme. The 30-year prison sentence is one of the longest terms ever given to a physician in a federal Medicare fraud case. Login to see complete story
12/19/2008 08:40 AM
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| Housing |
Census Bureau Accepts NAHB's Recommendation To Collect Data On Age-Restricted Housing
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is praising the U.S. Census Bureau for its decision to expand the Survey of Construction (SOC) to track the supply of new age-restricted housing for people 55 and older.
"We appreciate that the Census Bureau accepted our recommendation to include ... Login to see complete story
12/19/2008 08:59 AM
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Donovan Gets Nod For Top Job At HUD
Former Housing & Urban Development (HUD) deputy secretary for multifamily housing Shaun Donovan has been named by President-Elect Barack Obama to head the department. Donovan presently is commissioner of the New York City Dept. of Housing Preservation & Development and, as such, head of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (R) $7.5 billion program to build and preserve 165,000 affordable housing units for 500,000 New Yorkers, the largest housing plan in the nation. Login to see complete story
12/15/2008 09:58 AM
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| Industry News |
Company Researches Treatments For Catheter-Related Afflictions
The use of urinary catheters is a routine part of the management of patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities. However, catheters provide a means of access for bacteria to the bladder; this can lead to bacteriuria, a condition in which bacteria grow within the bladder that may lead to serious medical complications. After a patient has been catheterized for a month, it is virtually certain that the patient will have bacteriuria. Login to see complete story
12/16/2008 12:49 PM
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| Medicare/Medicaid |
Association Calls On Medicare To Update Plan Finder, Extend Enrollment Season
With just over two weeks remaining to choose a Medicare prescription drug plan for 2009, AARP is urging older Americans to beware of extra charges they may face with some plans. Under a rule implemented this year called "reference-based pricing," plans in Medicare's prescription drug program -- known as Part D -- may add additional penalties when beneficiaries choose brand name drugs over generics. Login to see complete story
12/16/2008 12:01 PM
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CMS Begins Fourth Annual Healthcare Provider Satisfaction Survey
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched its fourth annual healthcare provider satisfaction survey of Medicare fee-for-service contractors who process and pay more than $280 billion in Medicare claims each year. The Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS) offers healthcare providers the opportunity to contribute directly to CMS' understanding of contractor performance, as well as aid future process improvement efforts at the contractor level. Login to see complete story
12/16/2008 1:42 PM
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Understanding CMS' New Rating System For Nursing Homes
Beginning today (Dec. 18) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will rate the quality of nursing homes and report the ratings on its website, Nursing Home Compare, Under the new system, each facility participating in Medicare or Medicaid, or both, will receive a rating of one to five stars for each of three dimensions (health surveys, staffing, and quality measures), a composite rating that combines all three dimensions, and a separate rating for registered nurses (RNs). Visitors to Nursing Home Compare can sort facilities, by state, by the number of stars, separately for each of the three dimensions and for the composite score. Login to see complete story
12/18/2008 4:46 PM
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| Message From The Editor |
A Year-End Message from the Publisher
Holiday greetings from CD Publications' top executive, Publisher Mike Gerecht. Login to see complete story
12/19/2008 08:08 AM
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| News in the States |
States Urge Congress To Invest In Programs For Older Adults
Nearly 70% of America's states are anticipating cuts in programs for older adults and individuals with disabilities in 2009 even as the demand for services explodes in the face of a weakened economy, according to a new survey by the National Association of State Units on Aging. Login to see complete story
12/16/2008 09:52 AM
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| Research and Reports |
Financial Report: Entitlement Programs Underfunded By Trillions
The U.S. Treasury Department reports that the federal government's net operating cost in 2008 was over $1 trillion, more than triple the previous fiscal year. The Financial Report of the United States also states that federal government's fiscal exposure for social insurance programs totaled $43 trillion. Login to see complete story
12/17/2008 08:42 AM
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Is Power of Attorney An Open Invitation For Elder Abuse?
As the population ages, the power of attorney will be used increasingly to appoint trusted family members or others to handle financial decision-making. But it also can be a "license to steal," because it grants broad powers with little oversight. Login to see complete story
12/15/2008 3:16 PM
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One Percent Increase In Generic Drug Use Can Yield $4 Billion In Savings
A new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute details strategies used to increase the use of generic prescription drugs, which are typically as little as one-third the cost of their brand name counterparts. Despite consistent increases in brand name drug prices, the prices of generic alternatives have fallen in recent years. The report notes that every one percent increase in generic drug use could yield as much as $4 billion in savings to consumers and the health care system. Login to see complete story
12/18/2008 4:25 PM
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| Retirement |
First-Time Analysis Provides Data On Lifecycle Fund Utilization
More than 7% of 401(k) assets at year-end 2007 were invested in lifecycle funds and one-quarter of 401(k) participants held lifecycle funds, according to the first cross-sectional analysis of these kinds of investments, conducted by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). Login to see complete story
12/19/2008 09:14 AM
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