Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Major Mental Health And Addiction Treatment Center To Settle Allegations It Defrauded Medicaid
Modern Healthcare: Acadia To Pay West Virginia Medicaid $17M Over Opioid Test Fraud
A major investor-owned mental health and addiction treatment company will pay the federal government $17 million to settle allegations it defrauded Medicaid in West Virginia. The federal government alleged that a subsidiary of the publicly traded Acadia Healthcare Co., which owns seven drug addiction treatment centers in West Virginia, defrauded Medicaid over several years through false claims for laboratory tests related to the opioid epidemic. (Luthi, 5/6)
The Associated Press: Feds Announce $17M Settlement With Health Care Firm In W.Va.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced the civil settlement with Acadia on Monday, saying it’s the largest health care fraud settlement in state history. Stuart says Acadia, though its subsidiary CRC Health, billed Medicaid for $8.5 million in marked-up costs for blood and urine tests that weren’t done at its drug treatment centers and instead performed by a lab in California. (5/6)
In other news on opioids —
Kaiser Health News: Meth Vs. Opioids: America Has Two Drug Epidemics, But Focuses On One
Kim had been wine tasting with a friend in Sonoma, Calif. They got into an argument in the car that night and Kim thought someone was following them. She was utterly convinced. And she had to get away. “I jumped out of the car and started running, and I literally ran a mile. I went through water, went up a tree,” she said. “I was literally running for my life.” Kim was soaking wet when she walked into a woman’s house, woke her from bed and asked for help. When the woman went to call the police, Kim left and found another woman’s empty guesthouse to sleep in — Goldilocks-style. (Dembosky, 5/7)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Chronic Pain Patients In Ohio May Get Naloxone Prescriptions Along With Pain Meds
Doctors who regularly prescribe pain patients high doses of opioids are now required to talk to them about opioid safety, including the use of naloxone. The State Medical Board of Ohio made the rule that went into effect late in December. It's for patients receiving new, high-dose prescriptions for pain lasting more than six weeks. (DeMio, 5/6)
