Medicare – Financial Treason & Crime

BILL HAMMOND, 08 April 2021

Amid dire economic conditions brought on by the pandemic and exacerbated by the recent weather conditions, Texas legislators are eyeing policies on prescription drug prices that could jeopardize Texas employers’ ability to provide vital accompanying health care and prescription drug coverage.

Health insurance costs for prescription drugs are now higher than for any other expense, including patient hospital costs and doctors’ payments. The cost of health insurance is ranked as the single biggest problem and priority for Texas small-business owners in a recent National Federation of Independent Business survey of members. Continue reading “Article: Texas Legislature needs to change course on prescription drug proposals”

03/26/202103/27/2021

Article: The Unfinished Business Of Air Ambulance Bills

Article - Media, Publications

The Unfinished Business Of Air Ambulance Bills

Erin C. Fuse Brown, Loren Adler, Karan R. Chhabra, Barak D. Richman, Erin Trish, 26 March 2021

On December 27, 2020, tucked into the year-end coronavirus relief package and spending bill, Congress passed the No Surprises Act, largely ending the practice of surprise out-of-network medical bills. In a win for patients, the law applies to air ambulance operators as well as out-of-network providers and facilities that provide emergency and non-emergency health services. Nevertheless, the law’s consumer protections don’t go far enough to protect patients from the financial risks of an air ambulance transport.

Effective January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act generally prohibits out-of-network providers in emergencies and at in-network facilities from billing patients for more than their in-network cost-sharing amounts (eliminating patient balance-billing) and sets up a dispute resolution process to determine the amount the patient’s health plan will pay for the out-of-network care. Continue reading “Article: The Unfinished Business Of Air Ambulance Bills”

11/06/202003/11/2021

Article: Investigations Newsletter: Russian National Sentenced to Prison for $100 Million Cyber Fraud Conspiracy

Article - Media, Publications

Investigations Newsletter: Russian National Sentenced to Prison for $100 Million Cyber Fraud Conspiracy

Arent Fox, 06 November 2020

On October 30, 2020, a Russian national was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a scheme to illicitly obtain and use sensitive personal and financial information online over the course of twelve years, resulting in more than $100 million in estimated losses. In February, the defendant pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.

The government alleged that, from 2007 through 2019, the defendant and other cybercriminals used “botnets,” or networks of infected computers, to engage in a large-scale scheme to steal and traffic sensitive information, such as personally identifiable information and online banking credentials. Continue reading “Article: Investigations Newsletter: Russian National Sentenced to Prison for $100 Million Cyber Fraud Conspiracy”

12/04/201902/21/2021

Article: Berkshire Hathaway Bet Big on Dialysis Giant DaVita. Jim Chanos Thinks It’s a Scam

Article - Media

Berkshire Hathaway Bet Big on Dialysis Giant DaVita. Jim Chanos Thinks It’s a Scam.

Christine Idzelis, Institutional Investor, 4 December 2019

DaVita provides life-extending dialysis treatment to more than 200,000 patients. But is it gaming the system through questionable donations to the American Kidney Fund?

Read full article.

Comment: Chanos is calling DVA a fraud. Stock was $59 it fell to $53. Then it went to $115. NICE WORK. Buffet too big to cheat?

02/03/201002/20/2021

Article: AtriCure, Inc. to Pay U.S. $3.76 Million to Resolve Medicare Fraud Allegations

Article - Media, Publications

AtriCure, Inc. to Pay U.S. $3.76 Million to Resolve Medicare Fraud Allegations

Biospace, 03 February 2010

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Atricure Inc., a medical device manufacturer, has agreed to pay the United States $3.76 million to resolve civil claims in connection with the alleged promotion of its surgical ablation devices, the Justice Department announced today. Surgical ablation devices use focused energy to create controlled lesions or scar tissue on a patient’s heart or other organs.

“This settlement reflects our commitment to enforce the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and protect Medicare from the improper marketing practices of Atricure and other medical device manufacturers,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. “We will continue to work with our partners at the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Office and the FDA Office of Chief Counsel to preserve the integrity of our public health programs.”
Continue reading “Article: AtriCure, Inc. to Pay U.S. $3.76 Million to Resolve Medicare Fraud Allegations”