21 Charged, 5 Arrested In $267M Hospice Fraud Case In California
California officials say they have uncovered a multimillion-dollar scheme that used the stolen identities of non-Californians to enroll in Medi-Cal and then used that information to fraudulently bill for hospice services, AP reported. Also in the news: Medicaid work requirements, abortion, cannabis, alpha-gal syndrome, and more.
AP:
State Attorney General Rob Bonta Charges 21 In Hospice Services Fraud
California officials on Thursday said they uncovered a multimillion-dollar scheme to use stolen identities from people outside the state to charge for hospice services paid for with a government insurance program. State Attorney General Rob Bonta said officials have charged 21 and have so far arrested 5 people involved as the Trump administration accused California of not doing enough to crack down on fraud. (Ding, 4/9)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Modern Healthcare:
Nebraska's Medicaid Work Requirements Rollout Worries Providers
In May, Nebraska will be the first state in the nation rolling out new Medicaid work requirements under President Donald Trump’s tax law. With less than a month to go, providers and advocates in the state say they’re worried about still-unresolved specifics about eligibility and public outreach, and the impact on their patient base. (McAuliff, 4/9)
The Guardian:
‘Am I Going To Die?’: More Women Join Challenge To Arkansas Abortion Ban
Leitaea Lowrimore had hallmark symptoms of a dangerous ectopic pregnancy in February: vaginal bleeding, sharp pain, low hormone levels and no visible embryo on a uterine ultrasound. The 28-year-old mother and former nursing assistant was stunned when an Arkansas emergency room doctor said he wanted to discharge her, as ectopic pregnancies – or when an embryo implants somewhere other than the uterine lining – are never viable and can be life-threatening. (Rinkunas, 4/9)
CBS News:
A Colorado Father's Loss Inspires AI Technology That Could Change Pregnancy Care
In the basement of his Colorado home, Robert Bunn types commands into a computer he built himself. ... Bunn is the founder of Ultrasound AI, a company he has spent more than a decade building around a central idea: Using artificial intelligence to better predict when a baby will actually be born and to identify pregnancies at higher risk for premature delivery. "A lot of doctors have said this is going to completely change their clinical practice," Bunn said. (Werthmann, 4/9)
The Washington Post:
After Record Highs, Colorado’s Legal Pot Market Hits A Harsh Comedown
Oversupply and competition from other states have helped upend Colorado’s legal cannabis market, which was the nation’s first. (Brulliard, 4/10)
Honolulu Civil Beat:
Conservative Activists Take Aim At Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship
A decades-old federal program designed to put Native Hawaiian doctors and nurses to work in some of Hawaiʻi’s most underserved communities has become the target of national conservative activists whose stated mission is to “expose political bias and discrimination in healthcare and medical education.” Do No Harm, an advocacy group based in Utah, filed a federal lawsuit last week against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services arguing that its Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program is unconstitutional because it discriminates based on an applicant’s race and ethnicity. (Grube, 4/9)
CBS News:
Alpha-Gal Syndrome From Lone Star Tick Bites 'An Emerging Public Health Concern In Massachusetts'
Alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne illness that causes people to develop a serious allergy to meat and dairy, is "an emerging public health concern in Massachusetts," the state epidemiologist says. Dr. Catherine Brown with the Department of Public Health says the Lone Star tick, which is most commonly associated with the disease, has historically been found in the south. But climate change and changes in landscape use have resulted in the species moving north, she said. (Parseghian and Riley, 4/9)
CIDRAP:
Burials Of Unclaimed People In NYC Soared Early In COVID Pandemic, Suggesting Worsened Disparities
Burials at New York City’s Hart Island potter’s field began outnumbering expected deaths in early March 2020, coinciding with COVID-19 pandemic onset, peaking five weeks later with 22 deaths for each death during the same week in 2019, investigators from the City University of New York Institute for Demographic Research report. The study, published yesterday in Scientific Reports, suggests that the pandemic greatly magnified inequalities and highlights the particularly devastating effects of COVID-19 on economically and socially vulnerable groups, the authors said. (Van Beusekom, 4/9)
