News From Around the Web:
> Property Casualty 360° released its "2014 Insurance Fraud Hall of Shame," which includes four entries related to healthcare fraud. First on the list is Spyros Panos, M.D., a Poughkeepsie, New York surgeon that made more than $35 million in false claims from botched or fake surgeries. Article
> In an interview with the Washington Post, Health and Human Services Inspector General Daniel Levinson noted that the most uncomfortable moment he had on the Hill came when a senator repeatedly asked him to put a number on how much fraud exists in healthcare. Levinson said that estimates vary, but it's a "fool's errand to try and nail down a particular dollar figure." Article
> A paralegal who worked for French drug manufacturer Sanofi filed a whistleblower lawsuit after she was fired for reporting an alleged kickback scheme involving insulin sales, according to the Washington Post. The suit, filed in New Jersey Superior Court, alleges she was subjected to verbal criticism, violent threats, and even "grabbed and yanked around" by one manager, after raising kickback concerns. Article
Health Finance News:
> An Experian report states that data breaches in healthcare are expected to increase in 2015. Employees remain the leading cause of health data compromises, but the increasing number of networked devices and systems, along with cloud applications, could be a target for cybercriminals. Article
> Medicaid programs are creating or expanding home health projects that help cut costs on "super-utilizers" --patients with complex, chronic medical problems. A number of states have established "health homes" to better care for these patients. Article
And finally … A pickpocket in London hypnotized his victim. Article