News From Around the Web:
> The Office of Inspector General's 2014 work plan focuses on fraudulent billing for a severe protein deficiency called kwashiorkor, Mondaq reported. Kwashiorkor is primarily found in African famine victims. OIG audits of five hospitals concluded that none of 466 reviewed claims for kwashiorkor were justified. Article
> Medicare's competitive bidding program for medical equipment does not curb beneficiaries' access to care, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. Summary
> Parallel proceedings (or simultaneous criminal, civil and administrative investigations) now occur routinely in governmental healthcare fraud investigations, according to the legal firm Jones Day. Report
> Authorities closed a New York pharmacy after learning pharmacists paid AIDS patients not take their medicines, Natural News reported. Pharmacists billed Medicaid for costly drugs never purchased, offering AIDS patients some of the loot while pocketing the remainder. Article
> Be careful of buying analytic solutions based on snazzy dashboards and reports and then looking for return on investment calculations to justify purchases, Insurance Thought Leadership advises. Article
Healthcare News:
> Hospital administrators estimate that one-third of healthcare costs come from tests and treatments that aren't medically necessary and ordered defensively to prevent lawsuits, according to a new survey by Atlanta-based Jackson Healthcare. Article
> Community factors, such as socioeconomic status, physician mix and nursing home quality, may affect hospital readmission rates more than previously thought, according to a study published in Health Services Research. Article
And Finally... Fumbling for false identity papers, a payroll fraud fugitive dropped her real ones at the feet of police. Article