OIG dings hospitals for Kwashiokor billing; Kids' information allegedly sold in Medicaid scam;

> The Office of Inspector General continues to crack down on hospitals that use the diagnosis code of Kwashiokor (rather than codes for other forms of malnutrition) on Medicare claims. Kwashiokor is a severe protein-energy deficiency rarely seen in the developed world. Read the agency's findings for hospitals in New JerseyOregon and Texas.

> North Carolina social services worker Ieshia Watkins stands accused of selling names and other information on dozens of juvenile clients as part of a kickback scheme, WSOC-TV reported. The buyer used the information to file false Medicaid claims totaling nearly $30,000. Article (video included)

> A jury acquitted New Hampshire orthodontist Nicholas Marshall, D.D.S, of Medicaid fraud following a 160-count indictment representing $781 in questionable billings, the Concord Monitor reported. Marshall was accused of making false claims and billing for services previously paid through a lump sum treatment plan. Marshall no longer accepts Medicaid patients. Article

> ID Experts, an organization that works to mitigate effects of data breaches, released its top 10 medical identity fraud protection tips, ABC-27 WHTM reported. Article

Healthcare News

> Hospitals across the country face a demand for medical interpreters--and solutions such as conferring with a family member or an interpreter via a phone service don't always meet the need, NPR reports. Article

> Providers who better understand the specific uses of different kinds of laboratory tests order fewer unnecessary tests and provide better patient care, Medscape Medical News reported from the American Society for Clinical Pathology conference. Article

And Finally... Scammers prepare for the holidays with an email packages con. Article