Five states split $22 million kickback settlement; medical school settles false claims charges related to physician oversight;

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> Five states will spilt a $22 million as part of a settlement with the Denver-based DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc., according to a release from the Colorado Attorney General. DaVita was accused of paying kickbacks to physician groups in order to generate referrals to the company's dialysis centers. California, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, and Colorado will all get a share of the settlement, as that's where suspected transactions occurred. Release

> The Medical College of Wisconsin Inc. reached a settlement of $840,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the medical school billed Medicare and TRICARE for neurosurgeries performed by residents without the required level of supervision, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The whistleblower lawsuit alleged that the college billed for multiple teaching physicians services that overlapped one another. Release

> The New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company, Daiichi Sankyo Inc., settled with the United States for $39 million related to allegations that the company paid kickbacks to physicians to prescribe certain drugs, according to release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The case stems from a whistleblower complaint by a former sales representative alleging the global pharmaceutical company paid physicians "speaker fees" for Daiichi-run events, even though the physicians took turns speaking at lavish Daiichi-financed dinners, or to members of the physician's own staff in his or her own office. Release

Health IT News:

> The biggest threat to healthcare cybersecurity attacks are right inside the facility. Even by innocuously browsing the Internet or checking email, employees put hospital networks in a vulnerable position for cyberattacks on health records or hospital information. Article

Health Payer News:

> Medicare will begin paying doctors to improve access to elderly patients, two-thirds of whom have two or more chronic conditions and are treated by multiple doctors. Medicare will issue a $40 fee per month, per qualified patient for doctors that make a care plan, spend time on coordinating the patients' care and ensure patients can reach a medical professional 24/7. Article

And finally… A San Diego woman plunged her toilet and a five-foot snake popped out. Article