Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Administration's Tough Campaign Against Medicare Fraud Busts Some Major Scams
The Fiscal Times: Crackdown On Medicare Fraud Is Producing Some Impressive Results
After years of losing tens of billions of dollars through Medicare fraud, Justice Department and Health and Human Services officials, the FBI, government agency inspectors general, auditors and others have made important headway in slamming the door on fraudulent activities by doctors, hospitals, nursing home facilities, recruiters and conspiring patients. At the beginning of his second term, President Obama made combatting Medicare and Medicaid fraud a top priority – a decision that has led to a series of high-profile arrests and prosecutions by federal and state law enforcement agencies. (Pianin, 10/23)
The Hill: Nursing Homes Challenge New Rule Giving Residents Right To Sue
The nursing home industry is fighting back against new rules from the Obama administration that would give patients at federally funded facilities the right to settle disputes in court. Starting Nov. 28, nursing homes that accept Medicare and/or Medicaid funds will be banned from using pre-dispute arbitration clauses in resident contracts. The policy is being enacted under new rules from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services (CMS). The arbitration language — often slipped into the fine print — forces residents to settle disputes privately with an arbitrator rather than through the courts. (Wheeler, 10/23)
