> Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner announced the creation of the Health Care Fraud Elimination Task Force, which aims to reduce fraud and abuse within the $19 billion state Medicaid program and the State Employee Group Health Insurance Program with input from 11 different state agencies. Announcement
> A Chicago couple who owned three home health agencies were charged with participating in a $45 million fraud scheme in which they allegedly conspired with 13 previously charged individuals to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Announcement
> A Maryland pain management physician was sentenced to more than nine years in prison for a $3.1 million fraud scheme in which he performed procedures on patients and billed them at higher reimbursement rates, or billed for procedures that were not performed at all. Announcement
Health Payer News
> In the wake of its declining profits in the individual market, UnitedHealth now says it will exit the Affordable Care Act exchanges in Georgia an Arkansas. Article
> Investigators at the Government Accountability Office found notable vulnerabilities in the health insurance exchange websites of three states--California, Kentucky and Vermont--which could put hundreds of thousands of customers' personal information at risk. Article
And finally… Sounds like leftovers from MTV's The Jersey Shore are still lingering on the beach. Article