Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Care Fraud Probe Leads To 193 People Charged In $2.75B Schemes
Reuters: US Charges 193 People In $2.75 Billion Health Care Fraud Bust
The U.S. Justice Department has criminally charged 193 people, including 76 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, with participating in health care fraud schemes worth $2.75 billion, the agency said on Thursday. The two-week operation ensnared defendants accused of illegally distributing millions of pills of the stimulant Adderall. (6/27)
Modern Healthcare: HHS, FBI Issue Phishing, Ransomware Attack Advisory For Providers
The federal government is warning providers and public health entities about certain types of cyber attacks and advising them not to pay ransoms. An advisory issued this week by the Health and Human Services Department and the FBI said criminals are using social engineering campaigns to target healthcare, public health entities and providers. Phishing schemes are being used to steal login credentials that give bad actors access to payment information. (Turner, 6/27)
Modern Healthcare: Amazon Clinic Folds Into One Medical
Amazon is consolidating its healthcare businesses, the tech giant said on Thursday. The company is axing its Amazon Clinic telehealth marketplace after only 19 months. In its place is a pay-per visit telehealth model where users are automatically connected to a provider rather than getting to choose a third-party vendor in the marketplace. (Turner, 6/27)
Modern Healthcare: Clinically Integrated Network To Be Formed By Rural MN Hospitals
More than a dozen independent rural hospitals in Minnesota have teamed up to create a clinically integrated network, following the lead of providers in other states. The collaboration is designed to coordinate care, reduce costs and improve treatment across the 19 hospitals, executives said in a Thursday news release. (Kacik, 6/27)
Stat: Blind Employee Sues VA Over Its New EHR From Oracle
A blind employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs is suing the federal agency on grounds that their new electronic health records system makes it impossible for her to do her job. (Broderick, 6/28)
The Washington Post: Heart Surgeons Left ‘Unqualified’ Trainees Alone During Operations, DOJ Says
For seven years, heart surgeons at a Texas medical center allegedly ran multiple operating rooms at once and left complex parts of procedures to their “unqualified” trainees before submitting false claims to Medicare, according to a federal settlement reached with their employers this month. Three physicians left operating rooms during procedures — including open heart surgeries — and falsely said on medical records that they were present the whole time to collect Medicare reimbursements, the June 13 settlement agreement says. On some occasions, the surgeons allegedly oversaw three operations at once. (Somasundaram, 6/27)
