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Blistering inspector general report says feds are failing to fight Medicaid home care fraud

By Joe Eaton

Report says feds not doing enough to root out fraud in Medicaid personal services

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… issued such a warning.Report faults federal oversight of state programs A Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report scheduled …"

"… ggestions..  In a written response, CMS — part of the Department of Health and Human Services — explicitly concurred with only one of  the OIG …"

"… ges for personal care services. In March, the owner of Families First Home Health Care in Sparta, N.C., pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering stemmin …"

Medical journal issues warning about human tissue trade

By ICIJ

Medical journal issues warning about human tissue trade

Hospitals request government help in curbing possible billing abuses

By Fred Schulte

Federal help sought to create billing guidelines and oversee electronic medical records

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… ent, wrote in a letter dated Nov. 12. The letter was sent to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric H …"

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Study spotlights high breast cancer risk for plastics workers

By Jim Morris

Researchers cite breast cancer risks in Canadian plastic auto parts factories — with potential implications in the U.S. and beyond.

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… e factors.The results, published online today in the journal Environmental Health, are striking: Women employed in the automotive plastics industry were alm …"

"… study’s co-authors, Andrew Watterson, director of the Centre for Public Health and Population Health Research at the University of Stirling in Scotland. …"

"… Andrew Watterson, director of the Centre for Public Health and Population Health Research at the University of Stirling in Scotland. “They’re going to …"

"… In a written statement, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said, “We look forward to reading this paper … and pla …"

OPINION: 'Disrupt' the new buzzword of Obamacare opponents

By Wendell Potter

OPINION: 'Disrupt' is the new buzzword of Obamacare opponents

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… those same groups in another insurance-industry funded front group — the Health Benefits Coalition — that employed the same tactics a decade ago when in …"

"… efusing to pay for needed care, would cause premiums to skyrocket.Like the Health Benefits Coalition, which was operated out of the offices of a Washington …"

"… t the impact of the premium tax.”Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, also seems to believe that disruption is a really scary w …"

Union demands protection for workers, after breast cancer linked to auto plastics industry

By Jennifer Quinn, Robert Cribb, Julian Sher and Jim Morris

A study linking higher rates of breast cancer for women in the auto plastics industry triggers anger among workers.

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… .”The six-year study, published Monday in the journal Environmental Health, examined the occupational histories of 1,006 women in Essex and Kent coun …"

"… can be worrisome, said Andrew Watterson, director of the Centre for Public Health and Population Health Research at the University of Stirling in Scotland. …"

"… Andrew Watterson, director of the Centre for Public Health and Population Health Research at the University of Stirling in Scotland.“This research is rai …"

"… director of Health standards programs for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the vast majority of exposure limits enforced by the …"

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OPINION: Giving thanks for regulation of insurance industry greed

By Wendell Potter

New HHS rules will help consumers and keep insurers in check.

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… uch maligned federal employees. Last week bureaucrats at the Department of Health and Human Services did us a big favor by resisting pressure from insurance …"

"… w (Pennsylvania) or lived previously (Tennessee). In Philadelphia, a UnitedHealth care policy with a $1,000 deductible and an annual cap of $3,000 on out of …"

"… aving the white flag by any means. Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurers, said last summer that insurers would be spending the months befo …"

"… years, I have much more confidence in the bureaucrats at the Department of Health and Human Services than I do in the bureaucrats that work for the insuranc …"

Medicare paid $3.6 billion for electronic health records but didn't verify quality goals were met

By Fred Schulte

Medicare paid providers billions to adopt electronic records without checking to see they're meeting quality goals

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… s, according to a new federal audit to be released today.The Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s audit warns that the electronic r …"

"… ling software has contributed to the higher charges.In an Oct. 4 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebilius, four Republican House lead …"

"… t cited as an example a “report to customers” issued in February by GE Healthcare, a manufacturer of digital records systems. The notice said that two o …"

OPINION: the behind-the-scenes battle that could subvert Obamacare

By Wendell Potter

Battle over stop-loss coverage could eliminate consumer protections

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… anization of choice to derail Obamacare. During 2009 and 2010, America’s Health Insurance Plans —the major industry trade group— funneled more than $1 …"

"… ng. AHIP and a handful of big insurers bankrolled a front group called the Health Benefits Coalition to block a patients’ bill of rights that enjoyed bipa …"

"… t, Dan Danner—who was the group’s chief lobbyist at the time—was the Health Benefits Coalition’s lead spokesman.More recently, the NFIB has been pla …"

"… not surprising when you look at its board, which includes WellPoint, UnitedHealthcare, Humana and Cigna, one of the biggest sellers of stop-loss insurance.C …"

Feds tighten scrutiny of health records

By Fred Schulte

Feds increase scrutiny of how electronic systems affect billing

Excerpts from this story referencing "Health":

"… elle Dougherty, director of research and development for the American Health Information Management Association,  said the new directive “will h …"

"… al professionals who made the switch.Yet late last year, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said its contractors had de …"

"… sultant who serves on a panel on fraud and abuse for the trade association Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, or HIMSS, said that one of …"

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