Roundup: Mental Health Hospital Woes; N.Y. Medicare Scam Bust
McClatchy: Abuses In Assisted-Living Facilities Come Under Senate Panel’s Spotlight [A Miami Herald series "Neglected to Death,"] focused this spring on critical breakdowns in Florida’s enforcement system, including failures by the state’s Agency on Health Care Administration to fully investigate deaths or to shut down some of the worst offenders among Florida’s 2,850 assisted-living facilities. … Although more states are using Medicaid money to pay for some portion of assisted living care for the poor, the federal government has a limited role in the facilities their oversight has been and will likely continue to be a state duty (Bolstad, 11/2).
Source: kaiserhealthnews.org
Video: New York: Medicare Fraud Summit Civil Law Panel
Medicare Annual Enrollment: A Chance for Beneficiaries to Make Changes to Their 2012 Medicare Plans
In late September, Medicare beneficiaries received in the mail the handbook, “Medicare & You,” which contains useful information for seniors wishing to enroll in Medicare or change their coverage. Medicare beneficiaries who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan should have also received their Annual Notice of Change, a document that explains how their plan’s benefits and costs will change next year. Assess Your Current Needs Take time to accurately and completely determine your current medical requirements. Pay specific attention to any changes that have occurred in the last year. Have any of the medications you take changed? Were you diagnosed with a new medical condition? Have you moved? Any of these changes could impact which plan is best for you. Shop and Compare Information for the 2012 Medicare plans is available online at www.medicare.gov. This begins your opportunity to shop and compare available plans to determine which option is best suited for you. In addition to your health care needs, there are other facts to consider:
Source: patch.com
12 Defendants Named In NY Medicare Fraud Cases
participated in a fraud scheme at URI Medical Center and Sarang Medical PC (two Flushing, NY medical clinics). Allegedly, these six Defendants submitted about $11.7 million in false claims to the Medicare program for physical therapy, electric stimulation treatments and other services. The indictment charges the Defendants with failing to provide medically necessary services; and, in reality,billing Medicare for a variety of non-medical spa services, such as massages and facials. Moreover, the Defendants allegedly recruited Medicare beneficiaries to their clinics by offering lunches and dancing classes.
Source: brokeandbroker.com
12 Are Charged in Medicare Fraud Schemes Said to Cost $95 Million
Another defendant, Emma Poroger, 56, of Staten Island, was charged in a separate indictment for participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare of approximately $13 million, officials said. Ms. Poroger, a doctor of osteopathy, is accused of billing Medicare for a variety of services that were never provided, including vitamin infusion therapy, sleep studies, nerve conduction tests and medical scans, officials said.
Source: nytimes.com
Fidelis Care Hosts Free Medicare Seminars in Montgomery County
Fidelis Care offers free or low-cost health insurance through New York State’s Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid Managed Care programs. Members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, routine screenings, hospital and emergency care, eye exams, dental care, and more. In addition, Fidelis Care also offers a variety of benefit options for seniors through Fidelis Medicare Advantage, Dual Advantage, Medicaid Advantage Plus, and Fidelis Care at Home programs, available in select counties.
Source: readmedia.com
Doctor Groups Seem Less Wary of Medicare Changes
Although the association didn’t specify in its letter what changes they like or provide further comment, other doctor groups like the AMA said the physician community is happy they will be able to participate without losing money in the first three years and the federal government will allow certain doctor groups access to $170 million in initial Medicare savings to help them form ACOs. In addition, doctors said they were encouraged that the number of quality measures that need to be met was cut in half, but there will still be more than 30 or so benchmarks.
Source: nytimes.com
Medicare fraud charges settled against NY Presbyterian, Columbia, doc for nearly $1M
For more information: – read the Forbes article – read the Journal News article – here’s the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement (.pdf) Related Articles: Hospital CEO, lawyer indicted for alleged obstruction, perjury of $188M fraud collection Physicians under alleged Halifax Health fraud paid over $1M Hospital group fined $3.8M for alleged Medicare, Medicaid fraud Dallas hospitals to pay $1.4M, settle upcoding investigation Feds cracking down on healthcare fraud, prosecutions to rise 85%
Source: fiercehealthcare.com
NY Using Senior Citizens to Spot Medicare Fraud
A number of seniors say they attend the training sessions so they can learn how to protect themselves. Scams are ever changing. A new trend in Medicare fraud is to troll social media sites like Facebook for personal information and then call elderly citizens posing as one of their grandkids or distant relative who is in trouble and needs money wired to them. Many of these scammers not only get cash, but they also get Medicare numbers that are used for phantom billings.
Source: newyorkcriminallawattorney.com
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center fights to stay open in Brooklyn
The work group convened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggests several Brooklyn hospitals might need to be shuttered, or adopted by larger for-profit institutions, in order to sponge up the massive debt endangering their bottom lines. The other four threatened hospitals are Interfaith Medical Center, the Brooklyn Hospital Center, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center.
Source: nycapitolnews.com
NY Times OpEd: How Medicare Fails the Elderly
It may not be what everyone wants to hear, but it is important to acknowledge if we really want to have a world class system that cares for the people who use it. I can even imagine that we can lower costs in Medicare by expanding choices to include the things that are most effective, and want to use, rather than falling into a discussion about limiting choice and rationing care.
Source: wecandobetter.org
Treatment Supplement Insurance policies
In regards to your wellbe , most Americans do anyth they will to retain it. That incorporates add Medicare insurance supplement insurance Medigap Insurance package for insurance to allow them to will come to be better able to afford their healthcare expenses without giv the farmville farm. Everyone has learned that professional medical is pricey, and they realize that on the internet a lots of debate about precisely how much cost-free health need to be given away to your masses. Absolutely noth is wrong along with hav healthcare there to all those quite frequently, but everybody there need to be some option to hold the amount paid down devoid of stick it to your American folks.
Source: vanrentalsinny.com
LARGE SELECTION of Fairport sweatshirts, …
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Source: pennysaverusa.com
Dr. Bonnie Jacobs, Psychologist, Manorville, NY 11949
Are you self- critical and always concerned with what others think? Are you afraid to assert yourself for fear of hurting someone else’s feelings? Do you feel resentful and mistreated by others? Do you live in a constant state of feeling anxious, guilt ridden and depressed? I have had good success in working with people who suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and grief. By working together, in a supportive, accepting and interactive environment, you can begin to feel a sense of empowerment, self-confidence, and work through the obstacles that that are keeping you from moving forward.
Source: psychologytoday.com
