Congress Will Open Inquiry Into Alleged Hospice Fraud In California

CBS News: Congress Launches Investigation Into California Hospice Fraud, Citing Millions In Taxpayer Losses
House Republicans announced Monday that Congress will mount an investigation into "rampant hospice fraud," alleging that potentially tens of millions in taxpayer funds may have been lost in improper payments to Southern California companies. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which has the authority to investigate, has sent a letter to California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, asking for documents related to the state's "oversight and internal controls to detect and prevent fraud for its federally funded hospice programs." (Geller, Yamaguchi and Gold, 3/23)

More health news from across the U.S. —

Minnesota Public Radio: Medicare Billing Snafu Drives New Financial Woes For Minnesota Rural Hospitals 
Medicare payment problems are generating steep financial hardships for some of Minnesota’s rural hospitals at a time when many are struggling to stay afloat. State hospital leaders and officials at several rural hospitals say they have been vexed by a recent payment processing change by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that is effectively holding back millions of dollars needed to pay the bills. (Zurek, 3/24)

Flatwater Free Press: Nebraska Seeks To End Retroactive Medicaid Coverage
From her post in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Nebraska, Dr. Ann Anderson-Berry sees some of Nebraska’s sickest and smallest patients. It’s a devastating and unexpected end to a pregnancy, where the baby’s survival is often in question. For parents who rely on Medicaid, the government insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans, filling out the pages of paperwork to get their newborn covered is rarely top of mind. (Herbers, 3/23)

CBS News: Oakland County Wipes Out $6 Million In Medical Debt For 6,300 Residents
Oakland County is erasing $6 million in medical debt for 6,300 county residents. "This initiative is about giving people a second chance," said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter in a statement. "By eliminating this burden for thousands more residents, we're helping people regain their financial footing." The county is working with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, which acquires the medical debts of those who are least able to pay. To qualify for debt relief, you must be an Oakland County resident and earn at or below four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt that equals 5% or more of your annual income. (Buczek, 3/23)

Central Florida Public Media: HIV Patients Waiting For DeSantis To Sign Bill Restoring Access To Medication 
A bill that would help the HIV community is on the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The measure (HB 697) would temporarily reverse an emergency rule made by the Florida Department of Health that blocks access to HIV medication for many in need. (Pedersen, 3/23)

North Carolina Health News: NC Prison System Strained By Growing Need For Long-Term Care 
A 60-bed acute long-term care unit in the Central Prison Healthcare Complex houses some of the most medically fragile — and staff-intensive — men in state custody. All require help with many activities of daily living such as feeding, toileting, walking, bathing and dressing. (Crumpler, 3/24)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Meat Allergy Growing In Missouri, But More Data Is Needed
The doctors tested Lyla for lupus. Then leukemia. The 10-year-old was put on migraine medication, but she continued to get headaches. Sometimes, she broke out in painful rashes that turned her skin red. “She had crazy symptoms that just didn’t make sense,” said her father, Matthew Overcast, a Republican state lawmaker from Ava representing the Missouri House district south of Springfield. (Friedheim, 3/23)

AP: How Notorious Billionaire Leona Helmsley’s Foundation Is Saving Lives In Rural America
When Marcy Smith’s oncologist told her she needed radiation treatment for breast cancer, her first response was no. She’d already had a lumpectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy. The radiation would require six weeks of treatment in Billings, Montana — 220 miles from her Glendive home. It was too far away to drive there each day, and she couldn’t miss work or leave her foster children to relocate. (Gose, 3/24)