Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Justice Department Launches One Of Largest-Ever Health Care Fraud Cases
The Hill: DOJ Charges Nearly 80 People In $2.5 Billion Health Care Fraud Scheme
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday it has charged 78 people relating to their alleged involvement in defrauding care programs for elderly and disabled people of more than $2.5 billion. Among the charges filed against the accused are allegations of telemedicine fraud, pharmaceutical fraud and accusations of opioid distribution. Many of the defendants obtained their funds by making fraudulent claims for Medicare reimbursement, often for items that were ineligible. (Choi, 6/28)
AP: Dozens In 16 States Charged With Health Care Fraud Schemes, Including $1.9B In Bogus Claims
In one case filed in the Southern District of Florida, investigators said they found nearly $2 billion in fraudulent telemedicine claims submitted to government-funded coverage programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which mainly cover people age 65 and over and those with low incomes, respectively. ... Those cases involved templates for fake doctor orders for braces and pain creams that were used in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, investigators said. (Whitehurst and Murphy, 6/28)
Hackers strike the US Health and Human Services Department —
Bloomberg: MOVEit Hacks Ensnare US Department Of Health And Human Services
The US Department of Health and Human Services was ensnared by a sweeping hacking campaign that exploited a flaw in file-transfer software called MOVEit, according to an official with the department. The attackers gained access to data by exploiting MOVEit software used by third-party vendors, the official said, adding that no HHS systems or networks were compromised. Congress was notified of a “major incident” on June 27, according to the official, indicating it may involve exposure of data from 100,000 or more people. (Griffin and Manson, 6/28)
On medical care from the US Border Patrol —
Los Angeles Times: Border Patrol Officials Complained Of 'Overuse Of Hospitalization' As 8-Year-Old Died
As an 8-year-old was dying in Border Patrol custody last month, officials at the Texas detention center where she had been held were complaining about the facility’s “overuse of hospitalization,” according to an internal report obtained by The Times. Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez, who suffered from sickle-cell disorder and a heart condition, had developed a 101.8 degree fever during the five days she was at the detention facility in Donna, Texas. (Aleaziz, 6/28)
Los Angeles Times: Internal Report Details Rampant Diarrhea Among Children At Overcrowded Border Facility
Diarrhea was rampant, children were losing weight, and parents had to clean soiled clothing in sinks because guards would not provide them with clean items, mothers at an overcrowded Texas border facility in Laredo told Department of Homeland Security investigators last month, according to an internal report obtained by The Times. (Aleaziz, 6/28)
In other news from the Biden administration —
Bloomberg: Biden Sleep Apnea: President Starts Using CPAP Machine At Night
President Joe Biden has begun using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine to treat longstanding sleep apnea, according to the White House. (Jacobs and Leonard, 6/28)
Stat: Walensky Prepares To Leave CDC — And Congress — Behind
Rochelle Walensky, the outgoing director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will miss aspects of leading the nation’s top public health agency when her term ends Friday. But testifying before Congress is not likely to be among them. Walensky squared off against congressional committees 17 times during her 2 1/2 years as head of the CDC, most recently in mid-June, when she faced a grilling from Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. (Branswell, 6/29)
