News From Around the Web
> A prolific prescriber of antipsychotic drugs in Chicago has been charged with taking kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for prescribing clozapine, according to the Chicago Tribune. A previous investigation by the newspaper showed that Michael Reinstein, who also had a long history of prolific Medicaid billing, had been overprescribing drugs to nursing home and mental health patients. The kickback charge comes six months after regulators suspended his medical license indefinitely. Article
> A former fugitive who was once on the OIG's "Most Wanted" list was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for her role in a Medicaid fraud scheme that fraudulently billed Medicare more than $3.4 million. Vivian Yusuf, former owner of Ivy Health Care Supply, pleaded guilty to claims that she provided Medicare beneficiaries with unauthorized "ortho kits" and power wheelchairs and submitted false claims to Medicare using stolen health information and forged physician signatures. Release
> The Michigan attorney general charged a physician with nine counts of Medicaid fraud along with two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from a scheme in which the physician allegedly prescribed controlled substances in exchange for sexual favors. Dr. John Ronald Verbovsky then billed Medicare for the prescriptions that were written without medical necessity. Release
Health IT News
> Lawmakers are reviewing whether they should amend HIPAA to require encrypted health data following the Anthem hack that exposed the health information of 80 million consumers. A senate committee will discuss the issue as part of a larger review of health information security on Friday, but an Anthem representative said encryption would have been a "moot point," since the hacker had an administrator's ID and password. Article
Health Payer News
> Providers and hospital lobbyists are protesting a policy change by the Obama administration that would prevent providers from charging more at outpatient facilities that are owned by hospitals compared to medical practices. It's estimated the adjustment would save Medicare more than $30 billion over the next decade, but the provider industry argues that hospital-owned outpatient facilities treat sicker, poorer patients. Article
And finally… A shoplifter faces unexpected vigilante justice from a 75-year-old man. Article