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Feds charge Nebraska man with health care, bank fraud for alleged $1.4 million insurance scam - December 27, 2011
A man who ran the business operations of a Nebraska health care provider bilked Medicare, the state's Medicaid program and private insurers out of nearly $1.4 million while defrauding a local bank, prosecutors say....

TiCo-Owners of Pocatello Physical Therapy, P.A. Sentenced in Federal Courttle - December 23, 2011
The co-owners of Pocatello Physical Therapy, P.A., were sentenced in U.S. District Court today for altering records in a federal health care audit, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced....

Cody woman ordered to pay $22,000 for Medicaid fraud - December 23, 2011
The state's attorney general said Monday that a Cody woman was convicted and sentenced to a suspended prison term for the fraudulent billing of Wyoming Medicaid....

Doctor and Two Nurses Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $25 Million Miami Health Care Fraud Scheme - December 18, 2011
According to plea documents, Nunez was a medical doctor at two Miami-area medical offices that he owned and operated. Nunez referred patients to ABC Home Health Care Inc. and Florida Home Health Care Providers Inc ., Miami home health care agencies that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries....

Local couple charged in Medicaid fraud case - December 16, 2011
A Miami-Dade couple was in custody Friday after being charged with defrauding the Florida Medicaid program out of nearly $500,000 - the latest case in South Florida, epicenter of healthcare scams....

Four SI couples busted in alleged Medicaid fraud scheme - December 14, 2011
Four couples from Staten Island have been busted for defrauding Medicaid out of tens of thousands of dollars in benefits – even though they resided in million-dollar homes, owned real estate and drove around in high-end cars and SUVs, authorities announced today....

Daughter claims negligent care led to father's death at nursing home - December 13, 2011
According to the suit, Gamble was a patient at the facility for seven years. Carrier says she notified the staff of her father's problems, but they "did not exercise ordinary care in making health-care treatment decisions regarding the decedent."...

Health care firm owner gets 27 years for fraud - November 17, 2011
By the time the owner of a Houston physical therapy agency was ordered to prison Friday, he had fraudulently billed taxpayers and the nation's Medicare and Medicaid programs for more than $45 million in a kickback scheme that included handing out cash to "recruiters" to bring in patients for bogus treatment....

Twenty-Four Defendants Charged in Health Care Billing Scams that Defrauded Insurance Companies, Medicare, and Medicaid Out of Millions of Dollars - November 17, 2011
anhattan United States Attorney PREET BHARARA said: "As alleged, these defendants engaged in a massive fraud that pervaded every aspect of the no-fault insurance industry-faking injuries, bills, and even accidents-that defrauded private insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, and ultimately taxpayers, out of millions of dollars."...

State yanks Dr. Scarborough's medical license - October 26, 2011
The Baker County Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement notified Dr. Charles Scarborough on October 18 that his medical license was suspended by the state and he could no longer practice in Florida....

Owners of Fraudulent Lakeland, Florida, Physical Therapy Company Sentenced to 42 and 46 Months in Prison - October 24, 2011
Miami-area residents Angel Gonzalez and Jorge Zamora, who were the owners and operators of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla ., were sentenced yesterday and today to 42 months in prison and 46 months in prison, respectively, for their leading roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ...

Health Care Providers Seek Repeal of Therapy Cap for Aging Boomers - October 19, 2011
The ability for hip- and knee-replacement patients to receive treatment and rehabilitation after their injuries may be affected by physical therapy Medicare caps that are scheduled to go into effect at the end of this year, unless Congress acts....

Hialeah clinic banned for fraud used loophole to bill Medicaid - October 13, 2011
Ruth Reveron used her Hialeah rehabilitation center to fraudulently overcharge Medicaid by more than $1 million before authorities caught on, terminated her participation in the state-run medical program and turned her case over to Florida's attorney general, prosecutors say....

Man Sentenced Two Years In Medicare Fraud Scheme - October 10, 2011
A Miami man who operated a Medicare fraud scheme from a Lakeland address was sentenced Monday to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. The group of South Florida men in 2009 purchased a Lakeland physical therapy company called Dynamic Therapy so they could use its Medicare billing number, according to plea agreements....

Nursing homes fear funding cuts - October 6, 2011
Reimbursement cuts by state and federal health insurance programs will disproportionately hurt Northwest Indiana nursing homes and dramatically reduce their ability to provide quality skilled nursing care, several local facility operators said, while predicting layoffs, service cuts and even home closures....

Pierce County physical therapist had sex with patients, state claims - October 6, 2011
The state Department of Health is investigating allegations that a Pierce County physical therapist engaged in inappropriate sexual activity with five of his patients. The department issued a "statement of charges" against Franklin R. Merritt last week. He has 20 days to request a hearing or face automatic discipline....

Feds arrest Riverhead doctor for Medicare fraud - October 3, 2011
The indictment alleges that Dr. Stoff and his colleague, Dr. Billy Gervis, conspired with patient recruiters Ilya Gershkovich and Palageya Kotelsky to pay kickbacks to a small network of Medicare beneficiaries to present themselves as patients at Solstice, where they were "prescribed medically unnecessary services such as physical therapy and diagnostic tests."...

Skilled nursing facilities warn of zero profits if more cuts are made - September 30, 2011
Continuing their crusade to make the congressional super committee aware of the repercussions of how cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will impact the skilled nursing facility industry, SNF advocates have released an analysis by Avalere Health that finds if more cuts are made, the industry's operating margin will be zilch....

Podcast Offers Guidance for Compliance Under Affordable Care Act - September 29, 2011
The Affordable Care Act is generating new initiatives for enrollment and fraud that are creating a ripple effect on rehab providers. Nancy Beckley, MS, MBA, CHC addresses the compliance implications of these initiatives in a new Physical Therapy Products podcast, Compliance Update for Rehab Providers and Rehab Clinics....

Granite City Nursing and Rehab sued over resident's impairments - September 28, 2011
A woman says a Granite City nursing home caused a recently deceased woman's multiple injuries, including her fractured knee, kidney injury and left hip injury....

Former President of Fraudulent Florida Physical Therapy Company Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme - September 25, 2011
The former president and administrator of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla ., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare, announced the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FBI....

Ten Miami-Area Residents Plead Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme - September 22, 2011
Ten Miami-area residents pleaded guilty today and yesterday in U.S. District Court in Miami for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FBI....

Falsified patient records are untold story of California nursing home care - September 21, 2011
A supervisor at a Carmichael nursing home admitted under oath that she was ordered to alter the medical records of a 92-year-old patient, who died after developing massive, rotting bedsores at the facility....

Garden Grove doctor arrested in fraud sweep - September 10, 2011
A doctor and an administrator at a Garden Grove medical clinic have been arrested for allegedly billing Medicare for physical therapy treatment that was never provided, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday....

Nursing home ordered to close - September 9, 2011
Federal regulators have ordered a Sarasota nursing home to close by Sept. 22, following repeated failures to fix problems revealed after a ventilator patient died in 2009 when she apparently choked on a cookie she was not supposed to have....

Four from area charged with Medicare faud - September 9, 2011
Four area medical professionals were among 91 defendants charged nationally with false billing scams that allegedly defrauded Medicare and private insurers of $295 million....

Will Ending Adult Day Health Care Services Save State Money? - September 6, 2011
The California Department of Health Care Services recently sent a letter to most Medi-Cal beneficiaries participating in the adult day health care program, informing them that their coverage for ADHC will end Dec. 1. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program....

Medicare-funded power wheelchairs create headache for Amigo Mobility - September 6, 2011
More than 61 percent of Medicare-funded power wheelchairs were either medically unnecessary or lacked sufficient documentation to determine medical necessity during the first half of 2007 alone, the Inspector General's report said....

Looming Medicare cuts jeopardize Colorado nursing homes' operations, profits - August 23, 2011
A steep cut in Medicare payments to nursing centers caring for short-term patients on their way back home will likely result in layoffs, tighter budgets and vanished profits, nursing home officials warned....

HealthSouth Announces Conference Call to Discuss the Potential Impact of the Budget Control Act - August 23, 2011
HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HLS) will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 9, 2011, to discuss management's assessment of the potential impact of the Budget Control Act on the Company's business....

Most power wheelchairs in Medicare unnecessary, report finds - August 12, 2011
More than 60 percent of power wheelchairs Medicare buys for seniors were not needed or not right for the patients, wasting about $100 million in a six-month period, a July federal report found....

Medicare cuts payments to nursing homes - July 31, 2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday finalized an 11 percent cut in payments to nursing homes. CMS proposed the cut in April, saying Medicare made unexpected extra payments under a new classification system and that a cut is needed in order to recapture that money....

Man charged with fraudulent chiropractor billing - July 30, 2011
Ali, 34, was charged Wednesday with posing as a chiropractor and physical therapist, and submitting more than $1.1 million in fraudulent claims to Independence Blue Cross in 2009 and 2010....

Proposed Rule on 'Durable' Definition Could Be Trouble - July 27, 2011
A proposed rule to redefine "durable" medical equipment could mean more trouble for the industry, according to attorneys with King & Spalding, who warn that it is "sweeping in scope" and could reduce the number of DME products CMS covers....

Scams, manipulation, fraud targeting elderly on the rise, studies say - July 24, 2011
Financial exploitation and fraud among the elderly is growing, but the practice is especially hard to curb for two reasons: Most of the victims keep it secret and may not live long enough to testify after abusers are eventually apprehended....

Arrest warrant issued for Ottawa-based fraudster - July 23, 2011
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for a scam artist who vanished just days before his sentencing hearing for defrauding the federal government insurance health plan of more than $600,000....

Infection Prevention Guide Released By CDC - July 22, 2011
Even though the number of outpatient cases of medical care has increased, the same cannot be said about compliance to standard infection prevention practices, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)....

Feds sought tough punishment for nursing home - July 22, 2011
What began as county-level allegations against an Erlanger nursing home was elevated all the way to the federal level because authorities wanted a tougher possible punishment....

Litany of Abuses at Nursing Home - July 21, 2011
A nursing home chain defrauded Medicare and Medicaid by billing $16 million for "worthless" services at a Kentucky "care center" whose care was so "grossly deficient" and abusive it caused "egregious harm and even death to some of those residents," the United States says....

Higher than average nursing home payments might indicate fraud - July 21, 2011
Nursing homes that collect daily Medicare Part B payments that are more than three times the national average should be closely monitored for possible fraud and abuse, according to a new Office of the Inspector General report that was issued Friday....

OIG Criticizes Medicare for Wheelchair Documentation - July 20, 2011
Power wheelchairs are among the most expensive medical equipment covered by Medicare with costs ranging from $4,000 to $11,000, according to the OIG report. The federal government pays medical equipment providers based on prescriptions and diagnoses by physicians....

NKY Nursing Home Accused Of Medicare, Medicaid Fraud - July 19, 2011
ederal authorities said Villaspring Health Care and Rehabilitation, parent company Carespring Health Care Management and its owner billed for services that "were so inadequate that they were essentially worthless."...

Manager of Miami Health Care Agency and Registered Nurse Plead Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme - July 15, 2011
The manager of a Miami health care agency and a registered nurse pleaded guilty today for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ...

Misleading OIG Report Fails to Blame Flawed CMS Documentation Process, Claims American Association for Homecare - July 14, 2011
The Inspector General's Office (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a report last week concluding that 61 percent of power wheelchairs provided to Medicare beneficiaries in the first half of 2007 "were medically unnecessary or had claims that lacked sufficient documentation to determine medical necessity." But their report clearly indicated that medical necessity was actually only questioned on nine percent of the claims. ...

Hip fracture care among elderly has improved, national audit shows - July 14, 2011
National clinical audit, supportive networks, and incentive payments for hospitals have improved the quality of hip fracture care, shows a new report published today from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD). ...

Workers' Compensation Rehabilitation Certification Standards for Canadian Healthcare Providers Established for the First Time - July 14, 2011
A new credential for Canadian physical therapists and athletic trainers who care for workers' compensation patients is established today to certify professionals in these fields. This certification is the Certified Workers' Compensation Healthcare Provider or CWcHP™....

Feds, Medicare crack down on medical scooter fraud - July 13, 2011
The federal government is cracking down on medical-equipment providers who either overcharge Medicare for motorized wheelchairs or obtain them for people who don't need them, Medicare and Justice Department records show....

Ex-Toms River medical company owner admits to impersonating doctor to make fraudulent Medicare charges - July 12, 2011
The former owner and operator of a medical company that made house calls to elderly patients admitted today to impersonating a former doctor on his staff, then billing Medicare for his visits with patients....

CMS Compliance Newsletter Addresses Recent RAC Findings - July 12, 2011
The April edition of CMS' Medicare Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter clarified recent RAC findings affecting inpatient rehabilitation facilities, physicians, non-physician practitioners, radiology suppliers and inpatient and outpatient hospitals, according to an AAPC report. ...

Woman pushes for state law to better protect nursing home patients - July 11, 2011
Oceanside resident Lynda Tammone is looking for a way to give nursing home patients and their loved ones more power to document instances of what they consider poor care....

Most Power Wheelchairs in the Medicare Program did not meet Medical Necessity Guidelines - July 8, 2011
The Office of Inspector General found that 61 percent of power wheelchairs provided to Medicare beneficiaries in the first half of 2007 were medically unnecessary or had claims that lacked sufficient documentation to determine medical necessity. These power wheelchairs accounted for $95 million of the $189 million that Medicare allowed for power wheelchairs during this period....

Physical therapy patients sore over high cost of co-pays, doctors pushing for laws to help - July 8, 2011
Physical therapists are pushing for a state law that would reduce the high co-pays they say are forcing some patients to skip treatments. Even people with insurance have to pay up to $50 a session - nearly the full cost of a visit - and some regimens can call for three a week....

Hospital 'intern' charged in scam - July 4, 2011
Joanne Ayoube dutifully worked for a month as a physical therapy intern at a Sugar Land hospital, filling out medical records and working with patients beginning in April, prosecutors said....

Doctor-Run Physical Therapy Clinics Scrutinized - June 30, 2011
Doctors who own physical therapy clinics may be over-prescribing treatment, under-serving patients and racking up hundreds of millions of dollars in health care costs for sub-standard services, some patients and physical therapists told NBC LA....

Home Medical Equipment Sector Continues to Promote Tough Anti-Fraud Measures - June 30, 2011
America's providers of durable or home medical equipment and services have long advocated for tough anti-fraud measures, and this sector hopes that federal regulators and Congress will continue to focus their efforts on effective, targeted measures aimed at stopping criminals intent on stealing taxpayer dollars. ...

After Nation's Largest Medicare Fraud Bust, Guilty Pleas Begin in Brooklyn - June 30, 2011
After Brooklyn prosecutors used hidden audio and visual devices in a massive sting operation, that clinic and four others in Brooklyn were raided last July as part of the largest Medicare fraud bust in history. Ninety-four suspects were indicted and 36 were arrested, accused in scams totaling $251 million and reaching from Brooklyn to Miami, Detroit, Houston and Baton Rouge....

Three Brooklyn Physical Therapy Clinic Employees Plead Guilty in a $3.4 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme - June 26, 2011
Three employees of the Solstice Wellness Center, a Brooklyn-area clinic that purported to specialize in providing physical therapy and various diagnostic tests, have pleaded guilty in connection with a $3.4 million Medicare fraud scheme....

Long waits keep San Francisco therapy patients hurting for care - June 25, 2011
Can we pencil you in for an appointment sometime next year? At the time, the wait for a physical-therapy appointment was 110 days, and for an occupational-therapy appointment, it was 258 days - the better part of nine months. ...

Lake Worth therapist, 6 patients, charged with insurance fraud - June 25, 2011
A Lake Worth therapist and six patients are charged with filing false claims and ripping off insurance companies for thousands of dollars....

Owner of Houston Health Care Company Pleads Guilty in Connection with $1.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme - June 25, 2011
An owner of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty today to committing health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS). ...

Putnam nursing home sued - June 10, 2011
A Putnam County nursing home is accused of injuring and mistreating an elderly resident in a lawsuit filed this week in Putnam Circuit Court. ...

Greater patient access to records proposed - June 10, 2011
A proposed rule that would allow consumers to see who has accessed their electronic medical records is expected to increase the number of reported violations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act....

Top Reason for RAC Denials: Lack of Medical Necessity in Wrong Setting - June 4, 2011
The American Hospital Association (AHA) continues to collect and report valuable data from its web-based RACTrac survey. As summarized below, its May 20, 2011, report includes new findings from the first quarter of 2011, including the fact that lack of medical necessity is the top reason for claim denials by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs)....

June 15 Is National Testing Day for 5010 Transaction Standards - June 3, 2011
June 15 is a red-letter day for all physician practices. CMS has designated June 15 as a national testing day for the 5010 transaction standards mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA....

Major Medicare fraud agreement reached - June 1, 2011
A nursing home operator has agreed to pay close to $1 million to settle allegations that it defrauded Medicare, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina has announced....

State budget cuts threaten adult day-care programs - June 1, 2011
These day-care services - for many seniors, the only comprehensive care they receive - are in jeopardy because of the state's budget deficit. In the best-case scenario, funding for the state's 37,000 elderly or mentally impaired adults who qualify for day care will be slashed in half. ...

Local nursing homes face tight budgets, tough decisions - May 31, 2011
Nursing homes have been spared from a doomsday scenario in this legislative session, but budget uncertainty will keep them holding their breath until the next one. Massive proposed cuts had stirred fear among nursing home administrators and others that homes around the state would close. ...

Dynamic Therapy owner Andres Cespedes pleads guilty to Medicare fraud - May 31, 2011
Andres Cespedes, owner and vice president of Dynamic Therapy Inc., pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare....

Houston Federal Jury Convicts Patient Recruiter of Medicare Fraud Involving Claims of Hurricane Damage to Power Wheelchairs - May 31, 2011
Marion Beverly Metoyer, a patient recruiter for a Houston durable medical equipment (DME) company, was convicted today by a Houston federal jury of health care fraud related to a power wheelchair fraud scheme....

St. Johns County company admits Medicare fraud, receives plea deal - May 31, 2011
Diabetic Services and Supplies Inc. admitted that it filed $230,000 in false claims to Medicare, the insurance program for seniors and the disabled that exists by the grace of American taxpayers....

Three Wichitans indicted on Medicare fraud charges - May 31, 2011
Three people from Wichita were indicted Wednesday on charges that they defrauded the Medicare system by selling motorized wheelchairs to people who didn't qualify....

Vice President of Fraudulent Physical Therapy Company Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud - May 29, 2011
A Miami-area resident who was an owner and vice-president of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla ., pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare....

Widow sues nursing home for negligence - May 24, 2011
The widow of a former Madison Manor patient says the nursing home failed to care for an infection on her husband's foot, which led to leg amputation and eventual death....

Texas Medical Equipment Company Owner Sentenced for $2 Million Health Care Fraud - May 21, 2011
The owner of a Houston-area durable medical equipment (DME) company was sentenced to 84 months in prison for her role in a Medicare fraud scheme....

Business is booming for Medicare recovery audit contractors - May 20, 2011
A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report reveals that Medicare recovery audit contractors, which recently began operating nationwide, have had great success this fiscal year in identifying overpayments to hospitals, physicians and others -- and recouping the cash....

At School for the Disabled, High Pay Leads to State Pressure and Now Layoffs - May 18, 2011
The school's image went from outstanding to disreputable last month. An audit from the state comptroller's office revealed that $835,074 was misused in 2008 and 2009, much of it going toward the $1.25 million in salary and benefits paid to Edmund L. Cortez, the chief executive officer, during that time....

Medicare Fraud Nets Guilty Plea - May 18, 2011
A Brooklyn physical therapist pleaded guilty Friday in federal district court to five counts of submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for physical-therapy services that were medically unnecessary and never performed....

USDOJ: Brooklyn Physical Therapist Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving False Billings to Medicare - May 13, 2011
A Brooklyn physical therapist pleaded guilty today for his role in submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for physical therapy services that were medically unnecessary and never provided....

Dozens of warrants issued in staged crashes probe - May 13, 2011
Some suspects are accused of participating in crashes; others of running clinics involved in insurance scams. Deputies said the charges range from conspiracy to commit racketeering to filing false insurance claims....

Merck Serono pays $44M to settle kickback charge - May 5, 2011
The Department of Justice said Wednesday that multinational drugmaker Merck Serono SA has agreed to pay $44.3 million to settle allegations that it illegally promoted one of its drugs using kickbacks to doctors....

Man sues nursing home for relative's death - May 4, 2011
A man is suing Summers Nursing & Rehabilitation Center after he claims they are responsible for his family member's death....

$15.4 million sought from 5 former Health South executives - April 30, 2011
Five former HealthSouth Corp. finance chiefs are being asked to hand over $15.4 million in bonuses and interest stemming from the company's fraud years, according to court documents. ...

Physical Therapists Fight Mandatory Referrals - April 22, 2011
A bill that would allow physical therapists to treat patients without a referral is scheduled for a hearing before lawmakers on Wednesday, along with a series of other bills aimed at expanding the so-called "scope of practice" of certain practitioners....

Doctors asked to keep eye out for elder fraud - April 22, 2011
About half the states so far have signed on to the Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation program that aims to train doctors on the red flags of financial exploitation and gives them the information they need to refer patients for help....

New Medicare rules tighten screening for home health care services - April 21, 2011
A congressional study found fraud is a significant problem in home health care in the Medicare program. Another investigation found some doctors had approved patients for home health with no personal knowledge of the patient they certified. ...

Ex-Legal Secretary Loses Claim for Support Due to Belly Dancing Blog Posts - April 19, 2011
A former legal secretary who claimed she needed marital support because she was disabled contradicted herself in blog posts about her penchant for belly dancing....

Seattle physical therapist exonerated in sexual abuse cases - April 16, 2011
A year after a Seattle physical therapist was criminally charged with sexually touching two female patients, fired from his job and put on a restrictive license, all charges have been dropped....

Goldman Sentenced In Insurance Fraud Enterprise - April 12, 2011
A Manhattan man has been sentenced to 2 ½ to 7 ½ years in prison and fined $800,000 for perpetrating a massive no-fault insurance fraud through a criminal enterprise known as the St. Nicholas Group....

Bruno pleads guilty to multiple charges - April 11, 2011
The owner of an area therapy business, which provided physical and occupational therapy to some local students, has pled guilty to grand larceny, fraud, and unlicensed practice of a profession....

Therapist's license suspended - April 10, 2011
A Brainerd area physical therapist has had his license indefinitely suspended by the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy after being charged with having sex with one of his patients. ...

Ex-Bedford Hills Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud - April 3, 2011
A Connecticut woman pled guilty Thursday to a four-count indictment in Westchester County Court, after she was charged in December for allegedly using her Bedford Hills-based physical therapy business to defraud the county health department of more than $850,000....

Therapist disciplined for relationship - April 3, 2011
A physical therapist had his license suspended and received a reprimand for having a sexual relationship with a patient, according to an order this month from the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy....

Therapy company owner pleads guilty to ripping off Westchester County - April 3, 2011
The owner of a company that provided occupational and physical therapists to the Westchester County Department of Health, Thursday pled guilty in county court to a four count indictment in connection with billing and receiving over $852,000 in public funds to which she was not entitled....

FBI nab man accused in Medicare fraud case - March 29, 2011
Ernesto Angel Montaner, a fugitive extradited from Costa Rica, faces Medicare fraud charges after an FBI sting operation....

Miami Physician Sentenced 2 Years for Medicare Fraud - March 29, 2011
A Miami physician has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a multimillion dollar Medicare scam involving several home health agencies....

Judge again dismisses fraud indictment against North Wildwood doctor - March 22, 2011
A judge once again dismissed an indictment that charged North Wildwood Dr. John Costino and his wife, Barbara Haas, with health care claims fraud....

Kasich budget to hurt nursing homes - March 21, 2011
In his state budget last week, Gov. John Kasich proposed cutting Medicaid funding for nursing homes by at least 7 percent or $427 million during the next two years....

Providers commit to fighting denied claims but call process 'inefficient' - March 18, 2011
When it comes to denied claims, home medical equipment providers aren't taking "No" for an answer, according to the results of a recent HME NewsPoll....

Woman sues CAMC, others for nursing home negligence - March 17, 2011
A woman is suing Charleston Area Medical Center after she claims her mother was mistreated while she was in a nursing home....

Medicare scams infect Detroit as recruiters use poor to steal millions - March 13, 2011
Detroit has become one of the nation's "new frontiers" for Medicare fraud with many scams run by operators fleeing a federal crackdown in Miami. The businesses investigated include physical therapy clinics, home health care agencies, medical equipment providers and podiatry offices....

Miami doctor acquitted in Medicare fraud case - March 12, 2011
A Miami-Dade doctor was acquitted of Medicare fraud charges Friday in a sweeping home healthcare case that has so far netted more than 20 convictions through guilty plea deals....

Centers for Independent Living Southwest Kansas' closure raises financial questions - March 11, 2011
The Centers for Independent Living Southwest Kansas in Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City can't account for more than $1 million in state and federal funds. All three locations closed Monday, leaving people in Dodge, Liberal and Garden wondering what happened....

Medicare: Federal prosecutors land guilty plea for $3.5 million fraud - March 11, 2011
A Las Vegas woman pleads guilty to owning a fraudulent medical supply company that bilked Medicare for more than $3.5 million....

Nursing Home Complaint Center Urges Nursing Home Insiders Get Rewarded For Information Related To Proof Of Medicare Or Medicaid Fraud - March 10, 2011
The Nursing Home Complaint Center says, "We know becoming a whistle blower sounds complicated, its not, but the rules need to be obeyed, and we can help potential nursing home, or healthcare professional become a whistle blower, and with luck-rewarded for their information."...

Blackwood man pretending to be a physical therapist sentenced to state prison - March 4, 2011
A Blackwood man was sentenced to state prison Friday for billing insurance companies for physical therapy treatments he was not licensed to perform, according to the Attorney General's Office....

Physical Therapy Group Distorts Intent Of AB 783 - Patient Access To Care At Issue - March 2, 2011
In an action that threatens to disrupt the lives of physical therapists and the patients they care for, the California Private Practice Group of physical therapists (CA PPG) released an absurd claim that California physicians are illegally employing physical therapists for financial gain....

Assembly Bill Enables Doctor 'Kickbacks' at the Expense of Patients - February 27, 2011
Hundreds of physical therapists in California vowed today to aggressively fight a bill recently introduced that allows physicians to profit from referring patients to physical therapy services owned by the doctors....

California Private Practice Group Speaks Out Against New POPTS Bill - February 27, 2011
Special interest group California Private Practice Group has released a strongly worded statement in opposition to a new state bill that would allow physicians to profit from referring patients to physical therapy services owned by the doctors, known by the acronym POPTS....

Rehab Associates of Central Virginia Reduces Privacy and Compliance Costs with MOAT - February 21, 2011
MOAT's web-based tools empower RACV's managers to upload organization-specific training presentations, case studies, policies, procedures, plans, roles, checklists, guidelines, etc. into a secure Awareness Vault and share documents with appropriate personnel on an ongoing basis and in real-time as updates and changes are made....

Miami-Dade County a hotspot for Medicare fraud - December 22, 2010
Evidence in a new Department of Health and Human Services report on outpatient therapy from the Office of the Inspector General confirms what many have long suspected: Miami-Dade County has earned the dubious distinction of being Ground Zero for Medicare fraud in the U.S. Read more: Miami-Dade County a hotspot for Medicare fraud - FierceHealthcare http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/miami-dade-county-hotspot-medicare-fraud/2010-12-22#ixzz18tjdu2q7 Subscribe: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/signup?sourceform=Viral-Tynt-FierceHealthcare-FierceHealthcare...

Livonia clinic officials sentenced in Medicare fraud - December 20, 2010
The owner and the vice president of a physical therapy clinic that operated in Livonia were sentenced Tuesday to 151 months and 108 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a $23 million Medicare fraud scheme....

Avon Woman Sentenced to 63 Months for Committing Health Care Fraud - December 15, 2010
An Avon woman was sentenced late yesterday in federal court for participating in a health care fraud scheme involving the submission of hundreds of false claims of physical therapy treatments to various automobile insurance companies....

Four face charges in $14.5 million Medicare billing fraud in Metro Detroit - December 9, 2010
A widening federal crackdown on alleged false claims to Medicare netted four more arrests in Metro Detroit Tuesday, in the latest new indictment tied to a $14.5 million medical billing scheme....

Two in fraud case receive 10 years - November 30, 2010
U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett sentenced two people convicted in a Medicare fraud scheme to 10 years in prison each and ordered them to pay more than $18 million in restitution. ...

2 face sentencing in Medicare fraud case in Miss. - November 28, 2010
The owners of a defunct clinic accused of bilking Medicare and Medicaid out of millions of dollars await scheduled sentencing Monday in what prosecutors have described as a massive fraud scheme....

In Port Deposit case; Physical therapist faces sex charge - November 26, 2010
A Cecil County physical therapist was charged with sex offense after he allegedly groped a client in her Port Deposit home. Police say they suspect there may be more victims....

Project helps troubled nursing homes - November 25, 2010
The Critical Access Nursing Home Project brings together professionals from around the state and the nation to assist urban skilled nursing facilities in four states that have faced quality problems and challenges from regulatory agencies....

Therapist accused of fondling patient - November 25, 2010
A Maryland home health care worker has surrendered to authorities to face charges that he fondled a 56-year-old infirm woman at her Port Deposit home during two physical therapy sessions last month, authorities said....

How Far Can Insurance Companies Go To Check Up On Us? - November 22, 2010
Technology offers insurance companies all kinds of cool new ways to assess our health before insuring us, from data-mining to active surveillance with cameras with great zoom. How far can they go?...

Md. man charged with fondling woman during physical therapy - November 22, 2010
A Maryland home health care worker was arrested after allegedly fondling a 56-year-old woman during two physical therapy sessions at her Port Deposit home, authorities said....

Michigan Medical Assistant Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Filing $2.8M in False Claims to Medicare - November 20, 2010
Mohammed El-Fallal, a medical assistant employed by two home health agencies in Oak Park, Mich., has been sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme....

Brooklyn-area Patient Pleads Guilty in Medicare Fraud Kick-back Scheme - November 14, 2010
Brooklyn-area resident Yefim Drakhler pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn for his participation in a Medicare fraud scheme operated out of the Solstice Wellness Center, a Brooklyn-area clinic purportedly providing physical therapy and various diagnostic services....

Study: Texas Workers Comp medical costs stabilize after decreases - November 12, 2010
A study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute found the medical costs per workers' compensation claim in Texas stabilized in 2007 after four years of decreases....

New therapy rule could harm rehab patients in skilled nursing facilities, NASL says - November 10, 2010
Another long-term care organization took a swing at the new multiple procedure payment reduction policy, which affects Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing and post-acute care facilities....

Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Committing Health Care Fraud - November 8, 2010
A Dorchester man was sentenced today in federal court for a health care fraud scheme involving the submission of hundreds of false claims of physical therapy treatments to various automobile insurance companies....

Guilty plea filed in health-care fraud scheme - October 13, 2010
A Detroit-area man faces 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to running a health care fraud scheme that involved billing the government for home health visits that were unnecessary or never happened....

Cardiac rehabilitation promotes long-term recovery - September 25, 2010
Hershey's cardiac rehabilitation program is one of several operating in the midstate. The programs promote fitness, good nutrition and general wellness among people who have recently had heart attacks, undergone bypass surgery, coronary stenting, heart valve surgeries or heart transplants, or have been affected by other heart-related problems. Through the programs, patients build lifestyles that replace unhealthy behaviors with healthier ones....

Houston-area doctor, drivers convicted in health care scam - September 8, 2010
A federal jury convicted a Houston-area doctor and two others late Wednesday in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme....

Patient files found dumped in Monticello - September 3, 2010
Officials have seized hundreds, perhaps thousands, of files containing Social Security numbers and other private patient information found dumped outside the shuttered office of DRC Physical Therapy Plus....

Enrollment Watchdogs Target all Medicare Providers With Expanded Screening Powers - September 3, 2010
CMS's intense focus on enrollment compliance will turn increasingly to hospitals, physicians and other Part A and B providers and suppliers now that the agency has put controls in place to keep undeserving durable medical equipment (DME) companies out of Medicare, the director of Medicare program integrity said April 18....

No coverage is a chronic condition - September 2, 2010
IF YOU wrestle your way through the Harvard-Pilgrim website, you can find the clause for concern. It's listed under "Other Health Services,'' and reads: "Physical and occupational therapies up to 60 consecutive days per condition.'' If your therapist calls and asks, the insurer's service rep will assuredly say that restriction is interpreted as "for life.''...

Clinic owner, employee investigated in patient-file case - September 2, 2010
Deputies are investigating the roles of a New Jersey chiropractor and a Sullivan County physical therapist in the case of patient files found dumped outside the closed DRC Physical Therapy Plus in Monticello. Officials on Saturday seized hundreds of records after they were found in the parking lot of the Thompson Square Mall....

Therapist Accused Of Ripping Off Patches From Patients' Bodies - September 2, 2010
A physical therapist working at several assisted-living facilities is facing theft charges after police said she admitted to peeling off painkilling-drug patches from patients' bodies and sticking it on the roof of her mouth to get high....

Risks of At Home Spinal Decompression Therapy Tables Revealed - September 1, 2010
Renowned NJ chiropractor Dr Peter Ferraro is one of the leading practitioners of Spinal Decompression Therapy in New Jersey. Dr. Ferraro explains the risks and benefits of at-home decompression tables....

Pa. chiropractor charged with insurance fraud gets probation - August 29, 2010
A chiropractor operating out of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was sentenced to 23 months of probation on charges of insurance fraud and theft by deception....

N.J. health clinic, officials reach settlement on fraud lawsuit - August 29, 2010
The owner of an Essex County pain management center will pay more than $88,000 in penalties and restitution through a deal with New Jersey officials to settle allegations including fraudulently billing insurance companies....

California Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud in Power Wheelchair Scam - August 29, 2010
A Fresno, Calif.-area patient recruiter was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for her participation in a nearly $1 million power wheelchair fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS)....

Audit finds drug theft went unreported - August 28, 2010
The Western Maryland Hospital Center, a state rehabilitation facility in Hagerstown, did not disclose the theft of prescription drugs, breaking rules set up by Gov. Martin O'Malley, according to a legislative audit released Friday....

No Clinical Deficiencies for Elant at Brandywine Nursing Home & Rehabilitation; 2nd Year in a Row - August 27, 2010
For the second year in a row, the Elant at Brandywine Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center was found to have no clinical deficiencies during its recent annual health inspection conducted by New York State Department of Health surveyors....

Physical Therapy clinic accused of Medicare fraud - August 27, 2010
A Federal raid went down in Queens Wednesday morning on a physical therapy clinic in Queens. Four people are now charged with paying kickbacks to Medicare patients for therapy they never received, and didn't need in the first place. ...

Sandata Chosen to Implement Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Telephonic Home Health Project - August 27, 2010
Sandata, LLC, a leading nationwide provider of information technology solutions to the home healthcare industry, is pleased to announce the launch of the Telephonic Home Health Service Delivery Monitoring and Verification (DMV) pilot project in Miami-Dade County....

Brooklyn Physical Therapy Clinic Executive and Three Employees Charged in Health Care Fraud Scheme - August 26, 2010
Four Brooklyn, N.Y.-area residents have been charged in connection with a health care fraud scheme operated out of the Solstice Wellness Center, a Brooklyn-area clinic that purported to specialize in providing physical therapy and various diagnostic tests, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS). ...

Chiropractor gets probation for fraud - August 25, 2010
A local chiropractor with an office in Wilkes-Barre who was charged with insurance fraud and other related charges stemming from the theft of more than $24,000 from patients' insurance was sentenced Thursday to 23 months probation....

Glens Falls Hospital to close rehab facility - August 22, 2010
Glens Falls Hospital is closing its outpatient rehabilitation facility off Bay Road in Queensbury, effective Friday, "due to persistent health problems" of employees who work in the building....

Ohio lawmaker wants changes in Medicaid payments to nursing homes - July 28, 2010
A local state lawmaker is trying to change a new Medicaid payment system that has caused companies to close, others to lay off employees and, more alarmingly, is hurting nursing home patients who need services such as ventilators, dialysis or custom wheelchairs. ...

3 charged in Medicare fraud scheme - July 20, 2010
Federal agents charged three men Friday with billing Medicare for at least $2.9 million of phony physical therapy, in what officials say is a new version of health care fraud in South Florida....

Two Plead Guilty in Texas to Health Care Fraud, Illegal Health Care Kickbacks - July 20, 2010
Houston-area residents Doris Vinitski and John Lachman pleaded guilty today in connection with their roles in a durable medical equipment Medicare fraud scheme, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced....

OIG: No More Identical Claims NPIs - July 18, 2010
Along with the list of items the HHS Office of Inspector General has said it will examine this year in the DME sector, its latest report turns attention back to what the OIG calls a "claims processing vulnerability."...

Medical supplier sentenced to prison for motorized wheelchair scam - July 17, 2010
U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced that the owner of a medical supply business has been sentenced to federal prison for federal health care fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas....

Los Angeles Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Submitting Nearly Half-a-Million Dollars in False and Fraudulent Claims to Medicare - July 15, 2010
The owner and operator of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment (DME) company pleaded guilty today to submitting nearly one-half of a million dollars in false claims to Medicare, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services....

Medicare's fraud hot line begins to root out billing scams - July 15, 2010
Medicare has stepped up its anti-fraud efforts with a Florida consumer hot line that helps the federal program root out scams and refer tips to law enforcement....

Families allege poor care at facility - July 14, 2010
The families said they were moved to speak after Wednesday's arrests of 14 staff members at the nursing home. The workers were charged with endangering the welfare of residents and falsifying records as a result of a hidden-camera investigation by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo....

Burtonsville-based business owner guilty of fraud - July 13, 2010
A Burtonsville-based business owner pleaded guilty last week to fraudulently billing Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance companies for wheelchairs he never provided, according to Raquel Guillory, spokesperson with the state's Attorney General office....

Medicare fraud found in solicitations for wheelchairs - July 11, 2010
The Department of Justice announced in its press release today the federal court issurance of an order on March 25 which sentenced Leonard Nwafor, 44, to serve nine years in prison for Medicare fraud. ...

Discussion of Medicare's 'Competitive' Bidding Program for Home Medical Equipment is Plagued by Myths and Misinformation - July 10, 2010
Medicare has been touting the merits of the "competitive" bidding program for durable, or home medical equipment and services (HME) to convince Congress that the program is good for seniors. Unfortunately, proponents have conveyed misleading information and cherry-picked facts that exaggerate the benefits and ignore the severe shortcomings of the program. ...

North Carolina Home Medical Equipment Providers Travel to Washington to Advocate for Better Home Medical Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities - July 10, 2010
Home medical equipment service providers from seventeen North Carolina-based companies travelled to Washington, D.C. last week to urge members of Congress to support new legislation that will strengthen homecare availability for millions of older Americans and people with disabilities who require home-based medical equipment and services....

Nursing home staff face patient abuse counts - July 8, 2010
Fourteen nurses and aides at the Northwoods Rehabilitation and Extended Care Facility outside of Troy were charged Wednesday with endangering the welfare of an elderly resident, plus felony falsification of business records and multiple misdemeanor violations of the public health law....

Review heightens concerns over Medicare billing at nursing homes - July 8, 2010
More than a decade ago, Congress set out to squeeze the fraud out of Medicare billing at nursing homes, requiring more precise justifications for costs. It created new "ultra-high" billing categories intended to be used for only 5 percent of the patients needing highly specialized care and rehabilitation. ...

Detroit-Area Physical Therapist Sentenced to 62 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme - July 8, 2010
Sterling Heights, Mich., resident Solomon Nathaniel was sentenced today to 62 months in prison for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade; Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General's (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office....

Former Owner Of Rahway Chiropractic Clinic Pleads Guilty To Fraud Scheme - July 8, 2010
The former president and owner of Spinal Care & Rehabilitation Center, a chiropractic clinic in Rahway, pleaded guilty today in connection with his scheme to stage automobile accidents in order to send the participants in the accidents to his clinic for purported treatment, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced....

Fugitive Miami-Dade brothers face Medicare fraud charges - July 5, 2010
Federal authorities arrested several medical clinic employees accused of participating in a $14 million Medicare racket, but the ringleaders are still at large....

Medicare payments for physical therapy have poor prognosis - July 5, 2010
With healthcare legislation stalled in Washington, a cap on coverage may leave a half-million patients to shoulder the financial burden or give up on treatment....

Seattle physical therapist charged with abusing patients - July 5, 2010
A Swedish Medical Center physical therapist is facing sex crime charges following allegations that he improperly touched two patients. In charging documents, King County prosecutors contend that Michael James Shannon, 38, groped two patients, telling each that the contact was part of their therapy. ...

Lake Worth clinic owner accused of stealing $1.5 million - July 4, 2010
The owner of a Lake Worth chiropractic center was arrested on charges that he operated the clinic using a doctor's stolen identity and cashed in on $1.5 million in unlawful insurance bills, the state Department of Financial Services said Wednesday....

The largest Medicare fraud ever in the nursing home industry? - July 4, 2010
Yesterday's Washington Post cites SEIU's role in discovering a possible case of Medicare fraud by California-based nursing home company North American Health Care (NAHC), which operates 35 nursing homes in four states. According to SEIU's research, confirmed by the Washington Post, NAHC may be falsifying patient records and overcharging Medicare by tens of millions of dollars each year. ...

Athletic club remains open after charges - July 4, 2010
Between 2004 and 2006, it is alleged that Rehab One, a chiropractic and rehabilitation facility inside the club, and Rehab Two, a gym located in the basement of Levin's home, fraudulently billed Independence Blue Cross approximately $1.9 million for procedures that were either not medically necessary....

Houston Defendants Plead Guilty to "Arthritis Kit" Medicare Fraud Scheme - July 4, 2010
Mitchell-Straughter, 43, and Quinteros, 28, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Gray Miller in the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Mitchell-Straughter was an administrative assistant at two Houston-area durable medical equipment (DME) companies....

American Association for Homecare Alarmed by Provisions in Health Reform Law that Will Harm Homecare Patients and Providers - July 4, 2010
The American Association for Homecare expressed alarm about provisions in the new health reform law that will harm homecare patients and providers. The cumulative impact of the provisions aimed at the home medical equipment sector will reduce the ability to provide the level of services that homecare patients and physicians expect in Medicare....

Rehab center may lose options - July 4, 2010
The skilled nursing facility at Bingham Memorial Hospital may lose payment options through Medicare and Medicaid if he facility fails to come into compliance with federal guidelines....

Health club operators and local chiropractor charged with health care fraud - July 3, 2010
Mark Levin, Michael Karp and Raymond Brozek, a chiropractor, were charged today in connection with a $1.9 million scheme to defraud Independence Blue Cross, announced United States Attorney Michael L. Levy....

Are you winging it? - June 20, 2010
More and more chiropractors are undertaking the conversion of their chiropractic practice into a multidisciplinary practice without the legal and managerial assistance of professionals experienced in this highly regulated area. ...

White Hall nursing home faces state fine - June 10, 2010
A White Hall nursing home is in line for a $35,000 state fine after a February survey of the facility concluded there were deficiencies in care, including the death of a resident who suffered from septicemia....

CIGNA's Intracorp Earns Full Accreditation from URAC for Case Management and Utilization Management - June 10, 2010
Intracorp has earned full accreditation from URAC for the company's case management and utilization management programs. The accreditations, which are effective for three years, recognize the quality of these programs....

Three nursing homes fined for serious deficiencies - June 10, 2010
Three Syracuse area nursing homes have been fined for deficiencies that regulators say harmed patients....

3 Face Federal Charges in Chicago Workers' Comp Fraud Case - June 8, 2010
Federal law enforcement officials in Chicago report that a chiropractor, a medical doctor and a billing employee at a clinic in Maywood, Ill., have been indicted on federal charges related to workers' compensation insurance fraud....

Power wheelchair supplier convicted of fraud - May 16, 2010
The owner of a durable medical equipment (DME) supplier was properly convicted and sentenced for health care fraud because she submitted false prescriptions for power wheelchairs on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries, provided those beneficiaries with power scooters which were less expensive than power wheelchairs, and pocketed the substantial cost difference between the two....

CERT Report Uncovers CMS Problems; OIG Studies RAC Results - May 16, 2010
New medical record review methodologies, not fraud, helped pump up the DME MAC error rate to 51.9 percent in 2009, CMS said in a recent Comprehensive Error Rate Testing report....

Prominent New York City Real Estate Investor, Attorney and Atlanta Nursing Home Chains Pay $14 Million to Settle Whistleblower Kickback Case - March 17, 2010
Two prominent figures in the New York City real estate market, a Long Island associate and two Atlanta-based nursing home chains have paid the federal government and certain state Medicaid programs a total of $14 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging Medicare and Medicaid fraud involving a kickback and a cover-up....

Seattle physical therapist restricted from treating females - March 15, 2010
The license of a Seattle physical therapist has been immediately restricted by the Board of Physical Therapy and the state Department of Health. Michael J. Shannon (PT60014317) is accused of inappropriately touching two patients during treatment sessions....

Proposed budget cuts to senior care would hit families - March 15, 2010
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting $104 million from the 2010-2011 budget by eliminating adult day health care services beginning March 1. If the cuts to the $76 daily Medi-Cal reimbursements, which provide the majority of the program's funding, are approved, roughly 37,000 people would lose services by June....

Medicare settlement costs Mercy nearly $3 million - March 15, 2010
Three years after the hospital brought the violations to the federal government's attention, Mercy Medical Center has agreed to pay nearly $3 million to settle claims it violated the False Claims Act in connection with a number of Medicare cases. ...

Medicare anti-fraud rule disrupts South Florida senior care - March 2, 2010
The new rule caps how much home-care companies can make from Medicare patients who need more than one visit a day. The change prompted the family of Jacbobson's patient to move him, out of fear that his home-care company would drop him....

Va. Senate passes mandated autism coverage - March 2, 2010
Legislation that would compel insurers to pay for expensive but effective treatments for children with autism won overwhelming passage Tuesday in the state Senate despite opposition from mighty insurance and business lobbies....

Home Health Agency Owner Pleads Guilty in Connection with Detroit Fraud Scheme - March 2, 2010
Detroit-area resident Muhammad Shahab pleaded guilty today for his role in organizing a Detroit-area home health care fraud scheme....

Ex-Darnall therapist suspected in assault - February 28, 2010
A former physical therapist assistant at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood is suspected of following a patient home and sexually assaulting her....

Rehab service providers brace for TennCare cuts - February 28, 2010
Hospitals aren't the only health care providers bracing for effects to their bottom lines from changes planned to TennCare....

Feds to investigate allegations state hindered Medicaid fraud investigations - February 26, 2010
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)'s Medicaid Integrity Group intends to investigate allegations the Human Services Department (HSD) hindered Medicaid fraud and elder abuse investigations by the New Mexico Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud & Elder Abuse Division, CMS spokeswoman Mary Kahn told The Independent....

State lifts probation for Lancaster Manor Rehabilitation Center - January 31, 2010
Lancaster Manor Rehabilitation Center -- the nursing home formerly known as Lancaster Manor -- is no longer on probation....

Panel suggests nursing and rehabilitation center sale - January 31, 2010
Butler County should sell its cash-bleeding nursing home or turn over its management to another operator, a committee told county commissioners Wednesday....

County nursing home seeks to replace therapists - January 31, 2010
The Cayuga County Nursing Home wants to replace its independently contracted therapy services with a private rehabilitation service provider because the IRS told the agency its therapists too closely resemble employees....

Patients in Medicare demonstration project give chiropractors high marks - January 31, 2010
According to long-awaited results from a congressionally mandated pilot project testing the feasibility of expanding chiropractic services in the Medicare program, patients have a high rate of satisfaction with the care they receive from doctors of chiropractic. ...

Couple Indicted in $1.8 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme - January 30, 2010
United States Attorney John E. Murphy announced that a Federal grand jury in San Antonio this afternoon returned a 12-count indictment charging a San Antonio couple in connection with an alleged estimated $1.8 million health care fraud scheme....

Most claims for power wheelchairs don't meet Medicare criteria - January 30, 2010
An oversight report cites $112 million in improper payments. But a medical device association says the problem lies in documentation complexities....

Power wheelchair providers fight denials tooth and nail - January 30, 2010
Fed up with Medicare's regional carriers denying a majority of their claims for standard power wheelchairs, some providers are fighting back....

Physical Therapist Pleads Guilty in Connection with Detroit Home Health Care Fraud Scheme - January 30, 2010
According to plea documents, Vigil, a licensed physical therapist, admitted that she began working in approximately September 2008 as a therapist at All American Home Care Inc., and associated entities (All American)....

Nursing homes face lower Medicaid payments - January 24, 2010
Thousands of health-care providers will see a 3.25 percent reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates after a vote Thursday by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority....

Bill would hold nursing home owners criminally responsible for abuse, neglect - January 24, 2010
State Sen. Edith Prague said she will re-introduce a bill this year that would make it easier to hold the owners of nursing homes criminally responsible for abuse and neglect of patients in their facilities....

Michigan's physical therapy assistants in limbo over new federal and state licensing - January 24, 2010
A few weeks ago, Rebecca Stiff was happily working as the director of rehabilitation at a nursing home in southern Genesee County. Now she's anxiously waiting by the mailbox at her Swartz Creek residence, worrying if her new license will arrive from the state in time to keep her job....

Man claims physical therapist injured his arm - January 24, 2010
Referred to Christus St. Michael Rehabilitation Hospital for physical therapy for fractured ribs, James Marshall claims he suffered an additional injury to his right shoulder because of the physical therapist's excessive and forcible manipulation of his arm....

Minnesota County Says State Plan To Cover Costs Of Health Care For The Needy Is Unfair - January 24, 2010
In Minnesota, Hennepin County officials are saying a plan to charge counties extra to "cover health care for their neediest residents would have an unfair impact on the state's largest county and biggest public hospital."...

Bill expands what New Jersey's chiropractors can do - January 18, 2010
Thanks to a measure that passed in both the state Senate and Assembly on Monday, state-licensed chiropractors would be able to treat extremities, prescribe medical tests and give nutritional advice as well as sell nutritional supplements in their offices....

HHS Report Confirms that the Complicated Medicare Documentation Requirements for Power Wheelchair Claims Obstruct Regulatory Compliance by Physicians - January 17, 2010
A federal report released last week on Medicare claims for power wheelchairs confirms that the regulatory documentation requirements are confusing, onerous, and must be improved, says the American Association for Homecare, the nation's largest association representing providers of durable medical equipment and services, including wheelchairs....

Lakeland couple faces charges of Medicare fraud - January 16, 2010
A Lakeland husband and wife have been indicted on federal charges they defrauded the U.S. government by fraudulently billing Medicare for physical therapy services....

Industry Fires Back at OIG Report on PWC Documentation - January 12, 2010
In the wake of an Office of Inspector General report that indicated a significant percentage of early 2007 power wheelchair claims lacked proper documentation, the American Association for Homecare fired back last week with a message that put the blame squarely on CMS....

VPA to pay $9.5M to settle whistle-blower lawsuits - January 11, 2010
Voluntary Physicians Association, a Farmington Hills-based home health care company, has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle four whistle-blower lawsuits....

Medicaid cuts looming for Va. hospitals - January 10, 2010
Virginia's hospitals are attempting the delicate balancing act of asking legislators to spare Medicaid from deep cuts, while acknowledging the state faces a significant budget shortfall of $4.2 billion....

Health Care Providers Protest Zealous Auditing - January 10, 2010
Health care providers say they're getting swept up in a Medicaid fraud dragnet and being forced to pay thousands and sometimes millions of dollars to the government, despite not having committing fraud....

The Robbinsdale facility has corrected the problems that led to ban, state says - January 10, 2010
Robbinsdale Rehab and Care Center can resume taking new Medicare and Medicaid patients, after state inspectors determined the nursing home corrected serious and persistent violations of patient care standards....

Medicare changes rules for home health care - January 10, 2010
Recently, Medicare said it found that some home health agencies may be ending services early for some patients, citing a new Medicare rule that changes how Medicare pays for some high cost episodes of home health care....

Families challenge cuts in funding for disabled - January 8, 2010
Both ARC and CP have been informed their state funding may be cut by 10 percent, which would result in staff layoffs and the elimination or reduction of services. Ten-percent cuts would cost both organizations more than $1.5 million each, officials said....

AG urges awareness, welcomes senior sleuths - January 7, 2010
The Senior Anti-Crime University is part of the Attorney General's Senior Sleuths project, a volunteer program to help seniors protect themselves and prevent others from becoming victims of fraud and abuse....

OIG Finds PWC Documentation Lacking; Medical Necessity Next Up for Study - January 6, 2010
Those claims accounted for $112 million in improper Medicare payments out of the $189 million total allowed during the six-month period, the OIG said in a report posted Dec. 30....

Senior Medicare Patrol exposes cases of benefit fraud - January 5, 2010
The 4,700 volunteers who serve as the government's eyes and ears have been credited with saving taxpayers more than $100 million since 1997. The program relies on elderly people to apply a lifetime's worth of common sense and skepticism....

Physical therapist suspended following allegations of sexual misconduct - January 5, 2010
A Bristol physical therapist has been barred temporarily from practicing in Tennessee for allegations that he sexually molested three patients in late 2008, according to recently filed state documents....

Former Bristol, Tenn., physical therapist suspended for sexual, ethical misconduct - January 5, 2010
A former Bristol, Tenn., physical therapist's Tennessee license has been suspended due to findings of alleged sexual, ethical misconduct and substandard patient care....

Medicare cuts cripple access to cardio care - January 4, 2010
Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, Medicare patients throughout New Jersey will find it more difficult to receive potentially life-saving heart tests and treatments....

Qualifying for Medicare coverage for power wheelchairs and scooters - January 4, 2010
For Medicare to cover a power wheelchair or scooter, your doctor must state that you need it because of your medical condition. Medicare won't pay for a power wheelchair or scooter only for your convenience or for leisure activities....

Faribault nursing home death tied to medication error - January 4, 2010
The state cited a Faribault nursing home for neglect after a woman died of a massive stroke in June. ...

Kan. AG says no laws broken in Medicaid decision - January 4, 2010
State officials bypassed their own procedures but didn't break any laws in giving extra Medicaid funds to a nonprofit group with ties to the state Democratic Party chairman, Kansas' attorney general said Tuesday. ...

Senior-Citizen Volunteers Fight Medicare Fraud - January 4, 2010
Volunteer army of senior citizens is helping uncover Medicare scams, saves taxpayers' money....

Qualifying for wheelchairs and scooters - December 29, 2009
For Medicare to cover a power wheelchair or scooter, your doctor must state that you need it because of your medical condition. Medicare won't pay for a power wheelchair or scooter only for your convenience or for leisure activities....

Two Indian-Americans Plead Guilty In Health Care Fraud Scheme - December 29, 2009
At sentencing, Thangarasan, who is a licensed physical therapist, and Smith face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Aggarwal faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine....

Home Health Agencies Defrauded Medicaid - December 29, 2009
Three home health agencies have entered into a settlement agreement resolving the Attorney General's lawsuit against one of them and three whistleblower lawsuits that alleged the agencies defrauded the Medicaid program....

Pa. chiropractor pleads guilty to defrauding health benefit program - December 29, 2009
A Moosic, Pa., chiropractor pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony charge of making false statements involving a health care benefit program...

Allstate Insurance Company Uncovers Alleged Insurance Fraud Scheme Against Global Medical Billing - December 29, 2009
Allstate Insurance Company today filed a complaint in the United States District Court, Eastern District, Southern Division against Global Medical Billing, Sterling Heights, Mich., alleging insurance fraud, misrepresentation and unjust enrichment....

About 30 arrested over Medicare fraud in 3 state - December 25, 2009
Federal agents arrested about 30 suspects in three states Tuesday in a major crackdown on Medicare fraud totaling $61 million in separate scams as the government targets waste in taxpayer-funded health care....

New York Announces Settlement With Three Home Health Agencies - December 25, 2009
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has announced a settlement with three home health agencies that are alleged to have defrauded Medicaid by billing the system for hundreds of unqualified health aides....

Tighter rules sought for anti-psychotic drug use in nursing homes - December 25, 2009
Health advocates are calling for tough new rules on the use of anti-psychotic drugs in Illinois nursing homes, including tighter controls on doctors who prescribe the powerful medications....

Jesup doctor going to prison for health care fraud - December 25, 2009
A 43-year-old Jesup, Ga., family physician was sentenced Monday to 34 months in federal prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud....

Lee County residents keep an eye on plans that jeopardize home-care service - December 20, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering $54.7 billion in cuts to Medicare reimbursements for home health care services over 10 years. The Senate has been debating more than $40 billion in reductions....

Physical Therapist, Money Launderer and Patient Recruiter Plead Guilty in Connection With Multiple Detroit Health Care Fraud Schemes - December 17, 2009
According to information contained in plea documents, Thangarasan, a licensed physical therapist, admitted that he began working in approximately September 2003 as a contract therapist for a co-conspirator....

Robbinsdale nursing home loses funding - December 12, 2009
Officials have cut federal assistance to new patients at the Robbinsdale Rehab and Care Center because of the errors and failure in care that included those that led to two patient deaths....

Bruno arrested after hiring unlicensed therapists - December 6, 2009
Seven months after it was revealed that Care Point Services in Bedford Hills was using unlicensed therapists to treat local pre-school children, including some from Katonah and Lewisboro....

Plan would require license for Wisconsin massage therapists - December 5, 2009
State lawmakers are considering better regulation of massage therapists, by licensure instead of certification....

Ky. nursing home called one of country's worst - December 3, 2009
A Richmond nursing home is being called one of the worst performing in the nation by a government agency....

Doctor accused of inappropriate exam behavior to return to practice, with conditions - December 3, 2009
The Medical Board had issued a notice of contemplated action against Sparks, a board-certified otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat surgeon) who is on staff at Gila Regional Medical Center, in April that alleged: ...

Penalties urged for dismissing whistle-blowers - December 3, 2009
A nursing home worker who was fired after telling state inspectors about a resident's death says Iowa employers must be held accountable for firing whistle-blowers....

Palatka supplier charged in fraud - December 3, 2009
A Palatka medical equipment supplier became a South Florida man's gateway to ill-gotten riches, according to a recently disclosed federal grand jury indictment....

Treatment of elderly could be criminal - December 3, 2009
Employees at a Las Vegas assisted-living and Alzheimer's facility may face criminal neglect charges in connection with an ongoing investigation into the horrific care of elderly residents - some of whom were hospitalized because they did not receive their medication....

Occupational Therapist and Patient Recruiter Plead Guilty in Detroit-Based Medicare Fraud Schemes - December 3, 2009
Detroit resident Jaquita Lovelace and Miami resident Timothy Pierce have pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Detroit to participating in conspiracies to defraud the Medicare program....

NY company used unlicensed therapists - December 2, 2009
Authorities say a New York company under contract with the Westchester County Department of Health was using unlicensed therapists to serve special-needs children....

Owner of child-therapy agency for Weschester schools charged with grand larceny - December 2, 2009
The owner of a Bedford Hills company that provided physical and occupational therapy under contract to the Westchester County Health Department was arrested today on charges she used several unlicensed therapists to serve special needs children....

Two Detroit health care professionals plead guilty to Medicare fraud - December 2, 2009
A Detroit occupational therapist and a patient recruiter from Dearborn pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Detroit to participating in conspiracies to defraud the Medicare program....

Cyber sleuths catch scammers feasting on Medicaid dollars - November 30, 2009
The Medicaid Program Integrity (MPI) section of AHCA is a major computer sleuth group that scans the statistical horizon for suspicious billings. There are about 100 employees in this unit....

Federal rating system for nursing homes a glance, not a complete picture, Anderson-area officials say - November 30, 2009
The federal rankings look at the results of the homes' state health inspections, the number of registered nursing hours spent with each patient each day and the care given to patients' physical and clinical needs....

CMS: Supervising Physicians Can Be Anywhere on a Hospital's Campus Under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System - November 29, 2009
CMS has given hospitals more breathing room in terms of physician supervision of outpatient therapeutic services provided on hospital grounds....

Nursing home doctor's prescription record questioned - November 28, 2009
Neither state nor federal officials appear to have ever assembled a complete picture of Reinstein's thriving practice, built in part within Illinois' poorly regulated system of nursing homes serving the mentally ill. But an investigation by ProPublica and the Tribune found that Reinstein has compiled a worrisome record, providing assembly-line care with a highly risky drug....

Company billed for $14,000 wheelchairs, handed out walkers - November 26, 2009
The head of a now-defunct D.C. medical supplies company has been indicted for health care fraud and is accused of falsely billing the government for hundreds of thousands of dollars for deluxe power scooters or high-end wheelchairs while giving Medicaid recipients cheaper wheelchairs or walkers. ...

Woman's wheelchair goes unfixed because of state's budget woes - November 25, 2009
Company refuses to repair it until Illinois pays for previous claims....

Texas a hotbed as authorities crack down on Medicare, Medicaid fraud - November 25, 2009
When federal agents arrived, the scooter was still covered in plastic. It should have been a fancy $5,000 power wheelchair for someone who needed it. That's what Medicare paid for. ...

Care center owner held on fraud charges - November 3, 2009
The owner and the operator of the Care Center of Ormond Beach was charged today with Medicaid fraud, practicing medicine without a license and neglecting an elderly person under his care....

Detroit-Area Physical Therapist Pleads Guilty in Medicare Fraud Scheme - November 3, 2009
Troy, Mich., resident Syed Aziz pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Detroit to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program....

Nursing home CEO pulls in hefty pay, patients' families 'frustrated' - November 3, 2009
Nursing homes in Pahokee, Gainesville and Bradenton that get most of their money from Medicaid and Medicare are funneling more than $1 million a year through a maze of nonprofit corporations that chiefly benefit an Okeechobee CEO, along with her daughter and son....

Suit alleges kickbacks at Hospital for Special Surgery - November 3, 2009
Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery is one of the nation's top-ranked centers for orthopedics, the official hospital for the Giants, Mets, Knicks and Nets. It's got Tiki Barber on its board and former patients playing on both sides of this year's World Series. ...

Planned background checks for in-home healthcare workers are criticized - November 3, 2009
County social service chiefs in California protest the Schwarzenegger administration's plan for prospective health aides, saying they aren't ready to enact the new application process....

Woman arrested for operating assisted living facilities without license - November 3, 2009
Attorney General Bill McCollum announced on Wednesday that a Marion County woman has been taken into custody on charges she was operating an assisted living facility without a license....

Former Salt Lake nursing home employee gets year in jail in sex-abuse case - November 2, 2009
A former employee of a Salt Lake City nursing home has been sentenced to a year in jail for sexually abusing an elderly patient with Alzheimer's disease. ...

Nursing home cited, sued after elderly man's genitals disintegrate - November 2, 2009
An Everett nursing home is facing a lawsuit after an elderly resident's genitals disintegrated while staff allegedly failed to act....

MN AG Sues Nursing Home Owner For Overbilling - November 1, 2009
Attorney General Lori Swanson is suing the owner of a Plymouth nursing home for fraud for allegedly overbilling the state....

Home-care system leaves elderly at risk, auditor says - October 31, 2009
A $332 million state program that oversees home health care services for about 18,000 elderly and disabled residents is vulnerable to fraud and has employed personal care attendants who have committed felonies, including manslaughter, assault, and threatening to commit murder, according to a report released yesterday by the Office of the State Auditor....

Home care program's costs under scrutiny - October 31, 2009
The state's personal care service program is designed to save taxpayers money in the long run, while caring for some of Nevada's poorest and most vulnerable residents....

Risks call dialysis into question for nursing home patients - October 31, 2009
Some observers have questioned whether dialysis, which typically is performed three days a week for three or four hours at a time, is the best option for such patients....

Grand jury hands up indictment on Toms River chiropractor - October 31, 2009
A chiropractor who let his license lapse but continued to treat patients has been named in an indictment alleging forgery, theft and insurance fraud, among other crimes....

Mass. Nursing Homes Earn Top Marks For Care - October 25, 2009
Massachusetts ranks No. 7 in the country for quality nursing homes, according to data reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services....

Two locals arraigned in health-care fraud case - October 23, 2009
Two Mariettans were arraigned Friday on felony charges for allegedly defrauded Blue Cross Blue Shield and other insurers out of $11 million for physical therapy services that were not actually provided....

Virginia man charged with assault following alleged incident in Rockville clinic - October 21, 2009
Montgomery County Police charged a physical therapist who works in Rockville with second-degree assault and sexual contact without consent....

Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Raleigh Rates Zero Deficiencies - October 12, 2009
Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Raleigh scored zero deficiencies on the annual quality survey to ensure they meet care standards mandated by Medicare and Medicaid....

Rehabilitation services needs to be part of health care debate - October 12, 2009
The health care debate often focuses on all the problems and frustrations associated with the current health care industry. What is typically overlooked is the discussion about what is working well in our existing health care system....

Eureka health care and rehab center settles race discrimination case - October 12, 2009
A private Eureka assisted independent living facility is denying allegations of employee racial discrimination after settling a case involving an African-American nurse for $80,000. ...

Detroit-Area Rehabilitation Facility Executive Pleads Guilty to $18.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme - October 12, 2009
Suresh Chand pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Detroit to participating in multiple conspiracies to defraud the Medicare program and to launder the proceeds of the fraud....

New Annual Report Provides Objective, Independent Analyses of Quality Improvements in America's Nursing and Rehabilitation Facilities - October 12, 2009
Today the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (Alliance) publicly released the nursing, post-acute, short term and rehabilitative sector's first comprehensive report examining quality trends in the nation's nursing homes....

Folsom long-term hospital replacing itself - October 12, 2009
The only long-term acute-care hospital in the Sacramento region is quietly building a $43 million, 58-bed replacement facility on its campus in Folsom....

Davie man sentenced for Medicare fraud - October 11, 2009
A Davie man was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison and ordered to make restitution for his role in a $20 million health care fraud and money-laundering scheme....

Man admits health care fraud - October 11, 2009
From 2003 to 2007, Chand admitted he and his associates filed false claims worth $18,379,300....

Health reform advocates targeting Medicare fraud - October 11, 2009
Government administrators and senior advocates say there is no way to know how much money is sucked in via wheelchairs billed to the government for people who can still walk, services that aren't delivered and treatment that's not needed....

Former Bedford clinic owner surrenders therapy license - October 10, 2009
The owner of a former pediatric clinic that's accused of allowing unlicensed therapists to treat special-needs children has surrendered her New York state occupational therapy license....

Stearns Nursing and Rehab Center named in med mal complaint - October 9, 2009
The administrator of the estate of a recently deceased woman alleges the woman developed decubitus ulcers while living in Stearns Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which caused her pain and suffering until her death....

Critics see home health care boom as wasteful, but others tout benefits - October 9, 2009
From 2004 to early 2008, Medicare paid her two agencies more than $6.5 million to care for elderly Dallas-area patients. A federal investigation found that much of the care never was given. ...

Two Kansas lawmakers seek probe into whether officials committed Medicaid fraud - October 8, 2009
Two Kansas lawmakers have asked Attorney General Steve Six to investigate whether state officials committed Medicaid fraud by giving extra funding to a politically connected Johnson County nonprofit....

AG asks retirees to join sleuth program - October 5, 2009
Retired folks, often the target of con-artists, are now being recruited by the state of Arizona to help catch the swindlers in action....

SourceMedical's Therapy Software Division Takes a Leading Role in Therapy Documentation For Medicare Requirements - October 2, 2009
SourceMedical, a leading provider of outpatient information management solutions, announced today that it is taking a leading role in providing industry education to prepare therapy clinics for Medicare audits....

Class Accuses Blue Cross of Extortion - October 2, 2009
Three state chiropractic associations say Blue Cross Blue Shield is trying "to extort millions of dollars" from chiropractors, unfairly demanding that they return money paid on claims, after "retrospective" determinations that the doctors did not provide "covered services."...

Nursing-home residents urge state to reconsider new Medicaid billing system - October 2, 2009
A little-noticed change in how the state pays for wheelchairs, physical therapy and other care has caused some Ohio nursing-home residents to lose services and others to fear that they could be next. ...

Pomerantz Files Class Action Against Blue Cross Blue Shield Association ("BCBSA") and Related BCBSA Entities - September 28, 2009
Pomerantz Haudek Grossman & Gross LLP today announced that it and co-counsel Buttaci & Leardi, LLC filed a class action lawsuit against the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association ("BCBSA") and 22 leading BCBS insurers across the country on behalf of a putative nationwide class of health care providers, as well as the Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association ("PCA"), the New York Chiropractic Council (the "Council"), and the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors ("ANJC")....

Home health care firm owner sentenced in MA fraud case - September 28, 2009
The owner of a Braham-based home health care business will be required to pay $30,000 restitution as part of her Sept. 3 sentence for Medical Assistance (MA) fraud and can no longer be employed anywhere MA funds are received....

Audit: Expenditure controls inadequate in Va. program for disabled children - September 27, 2009
A state program for disabled children has inadequate internal controls over millions of dollars in benefit expenditures, according to an audit released yesterday....

Payment Reduction Policy For 'Efficiencies' Could Limit Patient Access To Care, Says APTA - September 27, 2009
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging against the adoption of payment policies outlined in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report1 released Monday that recommends the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduce Medicare payments for physical therapists and other health care providers who perform multiple procedures on the same patient on the same day....

Expanded team gets tougher on health care cheats - September 27, 2009
It is well known that Michigan and metro Detroit have a great national reputation for health care quality and innovation. Many top providers - including the University of Michigan Health System and Henry Ford Medical Group - are based in the state....

Nursing home worker claims she was fired after reporting abuse - September 23, 2009
An East St. Louis woman says she was fired from her job at a nursing home after persistently reporting a fellow employee's abuse of patients....

Tom C. Maynor Rehabilitation Center awarded three-year CARF accreditation - September 23, 2009
CARF International announced that Tom C. Maynor Rehabilitation Center at Riley Hospital has been accredited for a period of three years for its rehabilitation programs....

State assesses administrative penalties to county's hospitals - September 23, 2009
The state Department of Public Health said Thursday that it is assessing administrative penalties against 12 hospitals around the state – including Lake County's two hospital facilities – for noncompliance with licensure requirements....

Federal Study on Power Wheelchair Costs in Medicare Is Misleading and Ignores Costs of Required Services for Beneficiaries - September 23, 2009
In a study released yesterday, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) ignored the substantial costs of services related to providing power wheelchairs, including complex rehab, to seniors and people with disabilities who require mobility assistance....

Motorized scooters frequently part of Medicare fraud cases - September 22, 2009
Wheelchairs and motorized scooters have become big business in the world of Medicare fraud....

Two Lehigh Valley Healthcare Leaders Collaborate to Deliver Safer, High-Quality Care to the Community - September 21, 2009
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network Improves Safety and Medication Accuracy with B. Braun Medical Inc.'s Industry-Leading, Safety Infusion 'Smart Pumps'...

Rehab institute earns accreditation - September 21, 2009
The Orlando Health Rehabilitation Institute has received a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities for each of its 13 programs....

AAMC revamps cardio rehabilitation program - September 21, 2009
A rehabilitation program at Anne Arundel Medical Center has been so busy that the staff was forced to make some changes to accommodate everyone....

Mundelein chiropractor sued for insurance fraud - September 20, 2009
A Mundelein chiropractor is being sued in a federal court for insurance fraud Tuesday after he allegedly overbilled an insurance company more than $300,000 for services he never performed....

State physical therapy board chief resigns - September 20, 2009
The state Board of Physical Therapy's chief administrator and an office assistant have resigned amid an investigation into a $475,000 phone bill charged to the agency by a Taiwanese scammer....

Detroit Area Physical Therapist Pleads Guilty to Causing More Than $1.6 Million in Fraudulent Medicare Billing - September 18, 2009
Detroit area physical therapist Jay Jha, 45, pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program of approximately $18.3 million....

Medicare pay for services by nonphysicians comes under scrutiny - September 17, 2009
OIG finds the "incident to" rule is allowing care to be provided by nonphysicians who lack the necessary qualifications....

Physical therapy agency chief hired husband as maintenance worker - September 17, 2009
Two years before the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy got stuck with a $475,000 phone bill after a Taiwanese scammer stole the board's conference call access code, the agency's chief administrator was cited for hiring her husband as a part-time maintenance worker. ...

Promises of Better Care Baffle Hawai'i's Elderly and Disabled - September 10, 2009
Concerns continue to plague state's switch to HMO plans to manage Medicaid benefits for the blind and elderly. "There's a lot of frustration, confusion, nobody responding to your calls." ...

National Pharmacy Omnicare Pays 'Unusual' Settlement to Resolve Charges of Generic Drug Switching in Algonquin Nursing Homes, Resulting From 'Qui Tam' - September 8, 2009
Omnicare, Inc., which calls itself "the nation's leading provider of pharmaceutical care for seniors," paid $283,000 to settle Medicaid fraud charges by the State of Delaware. Delaware alleged that the pharmacy had committed Medicaid fraud by illegally switching the drugs of senior citizens in nursing homes and other facilities....

How to prepare for your next Medicare audit - September 8, 2009
With potential changes coming in Medicare, there are important things that skilled nursing facilities need to do to prepare themselves. It is not just about prevailing through an audit-it is about improving patient care and improving outcomes....

Physical therapist accused of assaulting patient - August 25, 2009
An Austin physical therapist has been accused of sexually assaulting a patient during an office visit....

Woman Accused Of Striking Elderly Patient - August 25, 2009
A Broward woman is charged with abuse on a nursing home resident who was under her care....

Physical Therapy Clinic Owner Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Case - August 22, 2009
The owner of City Nursing Services of Texas Inc., an alleged Houston physical therapy clinic, has been indicted for conspiring to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, mail fraud and money laundering arising from an alleged multi-million dollar health care fraud scheme....

DiNapoli nails medical providers on billing - August 19, 2009
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has found three medical providers have overbilled the state about $1.3 million. The firms, in Nanuet, Albany and Warrensburg provided routine physical therapy but charged them for the costlier TENS or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, according to audits....

Watertown whistleblower gets $10 million in Medicaid fraud suit against New York - August 19, 2009
A former Watertown woman will pocket $10 million in a record-breaking settlement of a Medicaid fraud whistleblower suit against the state and New York City, the Justice Department said today....

New York State and New York City to Pay Record $540 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims for Medicaid Funds - August 18, 2009
The state of New York and New York City have agreed to pay $540 million to settle allegations that they knowingly submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims for reimbursement for school-based health care services, primarily speech therapy and transportation, provided to Medicaid eligible children from 1990 to 2001....

Six Are Charged in Medicaid Fraud Scheme - August 12, 2009
Six people have been charged with stealing more than $47 million from Medicaid in the past 10 years, accused of using an elaborate system of corporations to mask their involvement while collecting the funds in New York State, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo's office announced in a news release on Thursday....

Local man sought in Medicaid fraud - August 11, 2009
Authorities are seeking a former nursing home employee they believe falsified patient records in order to get drugs for himself....

Physician Hospitals (PHA) Responds to TIME Magazine Article: Filled With 'Incorrect Assumption and Innuendo' - August 5, 2009
The TIME Magazine article "How Healthcare Reform Could Hurt Doctor-Owned Hospitals" (7/13/09) correctly states that physician owned hospitals would be hurt by pending health reform legislation; however, there is little else in the article that can pass as anything more than incorrect assumption and innuendo says Physician Hospitals of America (PHA)....

Billing dispute leaves naval families without therapy for children - August 4, 2009
A billing dispute between a military health benefits contractor and a rehabilitation services company has left scores of First Coast naval families scrambling to find new therapists for their children....

Nursing aide charged with voyeurism for phone picture incident - August 4, 2009
State prosecutors charged a male nursing aide last week with voyeurism for allegedly taking a picture of an exposed patient at a Salt Lake rehabilitation center....

Stolen Medicare cash may have been sent overseas - August 4, 2009
In a probable cause hearing Tuesday, Umawa Oke Imo, 54, of Nigeria was accused of operating a multimillion dollar health care fraud scheme at a physical therapy clinic at 9888 Bissonnet in Houston....

Brooklyn Doctor Charged With Workers' Compensation Fraud - July 27, 2009
Federal prosecutors charged in an indictment Friday that a Brooklyn doctor defrauded workers' compensation insurers by seeking reimbursement for procedures he did not perform, including some that he said he had done in his office at times when he was actually in Latin America. ...

New York Charges Doctors, Hospital Employees with No-Fault Fraud - July 21, 2009
New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced the indictment of 12 people and 9 corporations across New York City for their roles in an alleged criminal enterprise that paid hospital employees for confidential patient information, lured patients into receiving unnecessary treatment, and then submitted more than $1 million in phony personal injury claims to insurance carriers....

Fear of nursing homes shouldn't thwart rehab - July 20, 2009
It is important to recognize the benefits of rehabilitation for someone who is recovering from a medical problem such as a stroke, hip fracture, knee replacement or injuries from a fall. ...

Five-Star makes complaints against nursing homes even more serious - July 16, 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showcases the Five-Star Quality Rating System as an excellent source of information to aide the public in selecting a nursing home. But many believe that it will soon serve as the platform for public and private ratings programs such as "pay-for-performance."...

Physicians snared by growing Medicare fraud strike team - July 16, 2009
The indictments are the first major actions since the Depts. of Justice and HHS expanded a joint Medicare fraud initiative last month....

Justice Department Intervenes in Americans With Disabilities Act Lawsuit Against Transportation Provider - July 8, 2009
The Justice Department today announced that it has moved to intervene in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Jackson, Miss., challenging inaccessibility in Jackson's public transportation system. ...

Glenwood review finds progress - July 7, 2009
The Glenwood Resource Center is one step closer to complying with a 2004 court order to improve resident care. The U.S. Department of Justice says the state-run care facility's clinical care and nutritional services are now in substantial compliance with the standards spelled out in the court order....

Justice Department Files Complaint and Reaches Settlement to Improve Conditions at Texas State Facilities for Persons With Developmental Disabilities - July 7, 2009
The Justice Department announced today a simultaneous lawsuit and settlement with the state of Texas concerning the care given to residents of the state's 13 facilities for persons with developmental disabilities....

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Operations Lead to Charges Against 53 Doctors, Health Care Executives and Beneficiaries for More Than $50 Million in Alleg - July 7, 2009
Fifty-three people have been indicted for schemes to submit more than $50 million in false Medicare claims in the continuing operation of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in Detroit....

8 Miami-Dade home healthcare providers jailed in Medicare fraud scam - July 7, 2009
FBI agents arrested eight Miami-Dade residents at their homes early Friday on charges of fraudulently billing Medicare for $22 million by charging for nurses to treat mostly homebound diabetic patients -- many of whom didn't have the disease or didn't receive the services....

Healthcare owner convicted of Medicare fraud gets jail sentence; whistle-blowers go on vacation - July 4, 2009
Two whistle-blowers who reported a business owner for Medicare fraud left Wednesday for an island vacation while Janice Davis of West Monroe prepares to spend time in a federal prison....

State wants Oak Lawn nursing home closed - June 30, 2009
Illinois public health officials plan to try to close an Oak Lawn nursing home despite the fact that Regal Health and Rehab Center now is complying with state regulations....

Multiple personality raised at LI woman's fraud trial - June 28, 2009
Michel is charged with operating a $26-million Medicaid fraud and violating the privacy of patients at nursing homes around Long Island by stealing their records....

Day programs for seniors and Alzheimer's patients may be eliminated - June 26, 2009
Caregivers throughout California are up in arms over proposed state budget cuts that would eliminate day programs for seniors and those with Alzheimer's disease....

Family claims fraud in nursing home lawsuit - June 22, 2009
The family of an elderly Bridgeton woman claims a Millville nursing home intentionally misled them by promising she could remain in the facility after she depleted her personal savings, and then threatening her with eviction when she did, according to a lawsuit....

Cahokia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center sued over resident's care - June 22, 2009
Velma H. Penberthy filed a lawsuit May 18 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Cahokia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center....

Vanguard Healthcare Solutions Acquires Rights to Rehab Integrity Pro Software - June 22, 2009
Vanguard Healthcare Solutions today announced it has acquired the rights to Rehab Integrity Pro, the health care industry's leading physical medicine compliance software. ...

Texas-Based Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers to Pay U.S. $4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations - June 21, 2009
Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers Inc. nursing home chain will pay the United States $4 million to settle allegations that Regency submitted false claims to Medicare and the Texas Medicaid program....

Occupational therapist has license suspended - June 21, 2009
A Forest City occupational therapist has lost her license to practice for 14 days, agreed to complete continuing education and received a fine of $1,000 in disciplinary action by the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy....

Surprise man pleads guilty in wheelchair fraud case - June 20, 2009
The owner of a Cave Creek medical-supply business pleaded guilty to Medicare fraud after filling unnecessary prescriptions for motorized wheelchairs, making about $2,000 profit from each chair....

Insurance costs for chiropractors won't drop - June 17, 2009
State lawmakers won't move to make it cheaper for most North Carolinians to see a chiropractor. Chiropractors want the state to ban insurance companies from charging higher co-pays to patients of chiropractors than those who go to general practioners....

Grand jury indicts woman on Medicaid fraud - June 17, 2009
A federal grand jury has indicted a former preschool owner from Eagle on 51 felony counts of defrauding state and federal Medicaid programs out of at least $100,000....

Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Committed by One Nurse Aid at Two Facilities - June 15, 2009
A New York nursing home worker, who was already facing criminal charges for sexually abusing residents last summer, now faces new charges related to alleged abuses that occurred at another nursing home where he worked months earlier....

Care Point had state OK, Westchester says - June 15, 2009
A pediatric clinic accused of using unlicensed special-education therapists was on a list of state-approved providers, Westchester County officials said this week....

Illegal physical therapist gets jail - June 8, 2009
An Industry man changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced Monday on charges stemming from his practice of physical therapy without a license at a Farmington nursing home....

Former New Albany couple sentenced in wheelchair scam - June 5, 2009
The wife and business partner of a former Worthington businessman connected to a wheelchair insurance scam were sentenced today in a Virginia courtroom....

Care Facility Operating Without License - June 5, 2009
A Broward County woman has been arrested for operating an assisted living facility without a license and abusing a disabled adult in her care....

Middletown chiropractor pleads guilty in molesting case - May 23, 2009
Chiropractor Christopher King has pleaded guilty to attempted forcible touching, a misdemeanor, in a case where patients said he molested them during treatment....

Glendale therapy whistleblower case settled - May 21, 2009
A Glendale physical therapy company that contracts with Southern California Hospitals to operate hospital therapy departments, as well as its owners and operators, have paid the government $233,345 to resolve allegations in a "whistleblower" lawsuit that they caused the submission of false claims to Medicare....

Therapy company to pay in fraud claims - May 16, 2009
Business' resolution represents growing number of cases in which health-care fraud is suspected....

Legislation Aims to Increase Access to Physical Therapist Services By Eliminating Physician Referral Requirement - May 6, 2009
Medicare beneficiaries who need physical therapist services would find it easier and more efficient to obtain treatment under legislation introduced yesterday in the US House of Representatives....

Nursing Home Abuse Continues to be a Scourge - May 6, 2009
Last inspected on May of 2008, Pinelake was given an overall five-star rating, which translates into 'much above average.' However, the same cannot be said for many other nursing homes across the country, or the nursing home industry as a whole....

Cases involving Houston physical therapy clinics show scope and cost of Medicare and Medicaid fraud - May 6, 2009
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed the sentence of Wesley Alford Boyd, Jr., in a criminal case that arose out of Medicare and Medicaid fraud at six Houston-area physical therapy clinics....

Synergy Physical Therapy raises awareness about plight of uninsured - May 6, 2009
There is a national call to health-care reform, and locally, Synergy Physical Therapy and Wellness, 4510 Collins Blvd., is leading the charge to raise awareness during Cover the Uninsured Week....

Costly Home Health Care - May 6, 2009
Health care reformers have long advocated providing more care to patients in their own homes or communities instead of treating them in costly institutions like hospitals and nursing homes. The problem is compounded by fraud. ...

Fraud, abuse up cost of Medicare - May 6, 2009
Fraud and abuse helped boost Medicare spending on home-health services 44 percent over five years because some providers exaggerated patients' medical conditions and others billed for unnecessary services or care they did not provide, a Government Accountability Office report out today says....

The five-star nursing home rating system is bad policy, hastily implemented - May 6, 2009
CMS intended for this system to make it easier for residents and their families to shop for care based on a "quality rating." Unfortunately, the hastily implemented system is far from easy to understand and, based on our analysis, it often does a poor job of accurately identifying "quality" facilities. ...

Nava Spearheads Legislation to Increase Access to Health Care Services - April 23, 2009
AB 721 will allow physical therapists to act within their scope of practice and initiate immediate treatment to patients seeking relief from pain and injury without the need for a physician diagnosis....

'Direct Access' Can Save Patients Time, Money For Physical Therapy - April 23, 2009
Under Direct Access, a patient can go directly to a physical therapist without a doctor's referral, and in most cases, insurance will pick up the tab....

More abuse by care-givers - April 22, 2009
As reported in Sunday's Saginaw News, state inspectors determined this really happened to a resident at St. Francis Home in Thomas Township, leaving him with a mark on his nose and in a state of "increased anxiety." It also left his family "amazed."...

Family of abused patient forgives living center fined $129,000 - April 11, 2009
Now, his family, who asked The Saginaw News not to use names out of concern for the patient's privacy, is forgiving the nursing home after learning that two workers abused him in December....

Inspections revealing -- State Web site posts ratings of Saginaw County nursing homes - April 11, 2009
Choosing a nursing home is an emotional decision, and families should do so using state inspection data as well as their eyes and ears, professionals advise....

Fraud probers seize chiropractor's files in Old Forge - April 11, 2009
Authorities on Friday seized computer records and medical files of a borough chiropractor suspected of insurance fraud....

Individual Sentenced for Practicing Physical Therapy Without A License - April 11, 2009
An investigation initiated by special investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) ended with today's federal sentencing of Michael W. Stinson, owner of Reconditioning & Exercise Physiology Specialists (REPS) in Loveland. ...

Man Sentenced For Illegally Performing Physical Therapy - April 11, 2009
A man who pleaded guilty to performing physical therapy on injured workers without a license will spend more than three years in prison....

3 charged in Medicare fraud, identity theft case - April 11, 2009
A husband and wife who ran a physical rehabilitation center in San Diego allegedly defrauded Medicare of more than $1.3 million by stealing the identities of seniors and filing false claims under their names, state regulators said yesterday....

Hundreds of disabled Nevada children at risk of not getting therapy they need - April 11, 2009
Right now the fight is on to make sure hundreds of disabled children across Nevada get the Physical Therapy and other specialty services they need. This, after recent state budget cuts could force many to shut their doors....

Former therapy assistant denies charges - April 11, 2009
An Industry man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he practiced physical therapy without a license at a Farmington nursing home....

Physical therapists, chiropractors square off over bill - April 6, 2009
The campus is heating up today with supporters and opponents Senate Bill 5230 descending on the Capitol. The bill sponsored by Sen. Fairely, D-Lake Forest Park, would allow physical therapists in Washington to perform spinal manipulation, which chiropractors currently perform....

State clears nursing home
Texan Nursing and Rehab in compliance, says report - April 6, 2009
Texan Nursing and Rehab of Amarillo has been cleared by the state after a trouble-filled August inspection put the home in jeopardy of closing....

Chiropractor accused of improper touching sanctioned - March 26, 2009
A Janesville chiropractor twice sanctioned for improper sexual contact continues to practice....

Investigators raid W-B chiropractor's office - March 26, 2009
Authorities raided a city chiropractor's office Friday to seize records amid allegations he fraudulently billed patients and insurance companies for made-up visits and treatment - even on days his office was closed. ...

Lawsuit May have Implications for Medical Collection Agencies - February 15, 2009
It's not uncommon for medical debt collectors to inform patients that they are responsible for the full charges sent to the agency for collection. However, if the trend of states adopting laws to provide discounts to the uninsured continues, more agencies may have to revise their statements or they could be setting themselves up for a lawsuit similar to the one facing Audit & Adjustment Co....

A profession on the upswing - February 13, 2009
According to the U.S. Department of Labor employment of physical therapists (PTs) is expected to grow 27 percent from 2006 to 2016, which it characterizes as "much faster than the average" for all occupations. Much of the increase can be attributed to aging baby boomers....

Massage bill could increase profession\\\'s legitimacy - February 13, 2009
Legitimate massage practitioners and their clients, devotees of therapeutic, not sleazy, touching are the intended beneficiaries of legislation that takes effect later this year....

CompHealth Earns The Joint Commission Certification
Rehab and Respiratory Therapy Division Earns National Compliance Honor - February 13, 2009
CompHealth, a CHG Healthcare Services company and one of the leading providers of temporary and permanent healthcare staffing services in the United States, announced today its rehab and respiratory therapy staffing division in Grand Rapids, Mich., has achieved The Gold Seal of Approval™ for Health Care Staffing Services by The Joint Commission. ...

Nursing home checkup - February 13, 2009
More than half of San Joaquin County's nursing home residents eligible for Medicare or Medi-Cal live in facilities considered below average in quality ratings released in December by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services....

Nursing homes: Rating system a positive step - February 12, 2009
A rating system for nursing homes begun by the Bush administration may be revealing more about their quality - or lack of it - than many may wish the public to see....

Grand Junction man receives \'Stanley Cup\' of physical therapy awards - February 12, 2009
Smith was awarded Colorado's Outstanding Physical Therapist for 2008 in October by the American Physical Therapy Association. A plaque, engraved with his name along with honorees preceding Smith, arrived Saturday to Grand Junction....

New technology strives to heal injuries faster - February 12, 2009
Powell's program, ARPwave, stands for Accelerated Recovery Performance. The program claims to get to the root of an injury, help cure that injury 30 percent faster than any physical therapy, and get people back into the shape they once were....

Meadows unveils new rehab facility - February 12, 2009
Helping more nursing home patients return home is the purpose of the greatly expanded center....

Physical therapists in demand - February 12, 2009
Therapists like March help people learn how to recover the use of injured parts of their bodies. They treat people of all ages, from kids to athletes to aging baby boomers....

Pediatric center specializes in treatment of special needs children - February 12, 2009
Before beginning therapy Jhordan couldn't walk and didn't want to use her right hand. Now, she is walking and starting to use her right hand more and more....

Fort Collins nursing homes generally rank high - February 12, 2009
Some for-profit nursing homes in Fort Collins are bucking the national trend that indicates higher-quality care is received at their nonprofit counterparts, according to a newly released federal five-star rating system....

Rehab Center Moves; Not Everyone Is Happy - February 12, 2009
Those who have ever had to resort to physical therapy know that between the stretches, bends, massages, heat packs and ultrasound, there is plenty of time to schmooze....

Putnam nursing homes run the gamut of scores in survey - February 12, 2009
Only three other states have a higher percentage of one-star nursing homes, and less than seven percent of Tennessee nursing homes received the five star rating....

The benefits of 'Wiihab' - February 12, 2009
Physical therapists see great promise in the video game, which uses a motion-sensitive controller to allow players to simulate golf and tennis swings, among other movements....

The Ensign Group, Inc. Responds to DOJ Inquiry - February 9, 2009
The Ensign Group, Inc., the parent company of the Ensign(TM) group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services and assisted living companies, announced today that representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice served search warrants on its Service Center and six of its Southern California skilled nursing facilities. ...

Robotic knee can reprogram brain - February 9, 2009
Now, a laboratory in Mountain View is about to release a robotic knee that can reprogram the brain while providing physical therapy....

Physical therapy offers evidence-based solution to musculoskeletal pain - February 9, 2009
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging patients with musculoskeletal pain to consider treatment by a physical therapist, in light of a new federal survey showing that more than one-third of American adults and nearly 12 percent of children use alternative medicine – with back and neck pain being the top reasons for treatment....

2 men indicted for nursing home embezzlements - January 27, 2009
Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Amarillo for allegedly using a Pampa nursing home to steal $28,492.41 from the U.S. government or their employer....

Wii-hab? - January 27, 2009
Herz's research team used this system along with more traditional rehabilitation methods in a group of 30 patients with Parkinson's disease and found that it helped slow the progression of this debilitating disorder that affects an individual's ability to walk, speak and maintain balance....

Board disciplines therapist - January 27, 2009
An occupational therapist who formerly practiced in Burlington has been disciplined by the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy....

Physical therapist motivates disabled to push boundaries - January 27, 2009
Leach is a physical therapist who teaches physically and cognitively handicapped students full time at Matheny School in Peapack, and is a personal trainer for similar individual clients at the Morris Center YMCA in Hanover. She also works individually with infants and toddlers who, by reason of birth defect or medical condition, cannot perform the usual activities of children that age....

PricewaterhouseCoopers Identifies the Top Nine Issues for Health Industries in 2009 - January 13, 2009
The report is an annual review of the most pressing issues for health executives and policy makers. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute, the top nine health industry issues in 2009 are:...

Speech patholigist\'s assistant arrested for medicaid fraud - January 13, 2009
Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Dec. 8 that a St. Petersburg woman has been arrested for her role in a scheme to defraud the Florida Medicaid program....

SMC Home Care ranked as one of the state's best - January 13, 2009
Sibley Medical Center Home Care in Arlington recently ranked as one of the state's best in a federal survey of Minnesota's 202 Medicare-certified home health care agencies....

Retrain Your Brain After Stroke - December 31, 2008
Stroke patients often have to overcome a number of challenges before they can get back on their feet. Physical therapists are using a new tool to help patients not only retrain their bodies but also rewire their brains....

Rehab facilities finding many uses for Wii Fit - December 31, 2008
While Nintendo stresses that the Wii and Wii Fit are not meant to replace normal exercise, the console and its games are starting to be investigated as a possible means for helping people with rehabilitation and physical therapy....

Addressing pain with massage
Therapeutic sessions are used to help headaches, side effects, more - December 31, 2008
Massage therapy is gaining ground as a legitimate medical discipline, and it's used for more than relaxation, massage therapists say....

Medical business, employees charged with health care fraud - December 31, 2008
Medic Management billed Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance for thousands of physical therapy sessions, despite the fact that the clinic never employed a licensed physical therapist, and treatment was provided by unsupervised personnel who had no physical therapy training, but all the physical therapy sessions were billed as if they were performed by Dr. Anabtawi....

To brace or not to brace
Consider knee rehab before accessories - December 28, 2008
Physical therapist Winston Purkiss at Sun Valley Sports Rehab said the resumption of activity is often "significantly shortened by the wish to return to the playing field. Rehabilitation for nine months to a year is what I recommend. With pros it's maybe six months." ...

Therapy center for special needs children a real leap - December 28, 2008
Three years ago, special-needs children at Intermediate School 180 in Co-Op City had just a single room and a tattered mat for their physical therapy....

New Medicaid plan could open state to home care fraud - December 24, 2008
Home care providers are worried a new state Medicaid program will leave seniors vulnerable to fraud and abuse, and will cut into their business....

License probe leads to indictment - December 23, 2008
An Industry man has been indicted by a Franklin County grand jury for allegedly passing himself off as a licensed physical therapist at a Farmington nursing home by using a license obtained with bogus information....

Oklahoma state agency puts focus on abuse by caretakers - December 20, 2008
The patient abuse unit receives about 250 referrals a year from police departments, the State Health Department and private citizens, unit chief Don Brown said. ...

Therapist frees folks from pain - December 20, 2008
Harmeling and his staff have contributed much to a practice that boasts more than 50 percent repeat patients, including many families. Not only do the therapists work on getting the patients better, they encourage their patients to also want to get better by helping themselves and following up with exercises at home....

Nursing home physical therapist faces charges - December 6, 2008
Dellarma was licensed as a physical therapist assistant in 1995 and has continued to renew that license, which he currently holds, said Doug Dunbar, assistant to the commissioner for the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation....

Special program helps MHS physical therapy patients - December 6, 2008
Dartfish has been used for years as a way to help Olympic athletes improve their performances by pinpointing every flaw. Now it is helping patients overcome their pain....

State officials defend licensing oversight process - December 6, 2008
According to the department, which licenses more than 100,000 people in Maine in about 40 professional occupations, Dellarma had a legitimate license as an assistant physical therapist....

Piriformis Syndrome won't go away without therapy - December 6, 2008
PS does not have a natural lifespan and will most likely stay until treated. Once it has settled in it can be a difficult tenant to evict. Also, PS will increase stiffness in the hip and perpetuate the problem, so don't wait too long to be seen....

Stroke patients soon may have fun, high-tech tool
Virtual program may aid in therapy - December 1, 2008
The University of Central Florida will immerse stroke survivors in a virtual world full of flying insects to help expand their range of movement....

Nursing home sells for $3.3 million
Springfield Manor plans changes, more residents at historic facility - December 1, 2008
Lynne Bailey, director of marketing and admissions for the home, said the buyers were a godsend to the building, which had been in danger of closing since filing for bankruptcy....

Left untreated, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can do irreversible damage - December 1, 2008
One of the fastest growing diagnoses in the country, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome affects millions of Americans each year. ...

State probes fraud at adult day cares - November 30, 2008
State investigators suspect nearly one-third of New Jersey's adult day care centers have committed Medicaid fraud and recently revoked 41 operators' authority to determine if senior citizens are eligible for the program....

Partnership reached : Mercy and Cornerstone Healthcare will keep outpatient therapy services intact - November 30, 2008
Kilgore, president of Cornerstone Healthcare, which currently has 70 therapists in its various locations and manages Highland Health and Rehabilitation Center in Bella Vista and Ashley Health and Rehabilitation Center in Rogers, was interested in finding a solution that would keep those services from dissolving....

New Research Shows That Combining Aerobic Exercise With High-Force Eccentric Resistance Training Improves Glucose Control in Diabetes Patients - November 30, 2008
Physical therapy is a cost-effective form of treatment for Americans with diabetes....

The Physical Therapy Profession Remains in High Demand - November 30, 2008
October is National Physical Therapy month and to celebrate the Michigan Physical Therapy Association (MPTA) is encouraging Michigan residents to "Become a Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant." ...

Massage provides relief for fibromyalgia sufferers - November 30, 2008
Because of this extreme sensitively to touch, working on clients with fibromyalgia requires a whole different approach to massage, Yoder said....

Nursing home's residents abused - November 30, 2008
Residents of a Sapulpa nursing home were subjected to immediate jeopardy because of verbal and mental abuse by its former administrator, state investigators report....

American Association for Homecare Proposes Aggressive 13-Point Plan to Stop Medicare Fraud and Recoup Billions; Calls Steps Essential to Medicare\'s H - November 29, 2008
Tough new steps must be taken to prevent fraud and abuse in Medicare, says the American Association for Homecare, which today announced 13 specific recommendations that could eliminate most of the Medicare fraud attributed to the home medical equipment (HME) sector....

Researchers Study Effectiveness of Robotic Gait-Assisted Therapies for Stroke Victims - November 29, 2008
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to recovering mobility after a stroke, therapists say that every step counts. Two University of Missouri researchers recently studied robotic gait-assisted therapy to see if it is the best way to make steps count for patients with neurological injuries....

Cancer patients finding hope in physical therapy - November 29, 2008
After the shock of diagnosis, the trauma of surgery and the grueling months of chemotherapy and radiation, many breast-cancer survivors still face difficult physical problems....

Pediatric therapy helps little ones overcome big obstacles - November 29, 2008
The Pediatric Therapy Department at Sacred Heart handles more than 28,000 patient visits a year, from newborns to age 17. Patients have traveled from as far away as Panama City for therapy. Common diagnoses of the young therapy patients include cerebral palsy, autism, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury, burns, sensory integrative dysfunction, orthopedic injuries, learning disabilities, cleft palate, voice pathology, hearing loss, stuttering, failure to thrive and swallowing disorders....

ACHILLES TENDONITIS Rehab with mobility, stretching - November 29, 2008
Achilles tendonitis affects a broad spectrum of people. It is common in runners and walkers, hikers and people participating in sports. However, it is not limited to athletes. In fact, athletes make up less than 20 percent of the cases of Achilles tendonitis. ...

Employment security: Some jobs will always be in demand, despite economy - November 29, 2008
For a 10-year period that began in 2006, employment of physical therapists is expected to rise 27 percent, reports the U.S. Department of Labor....

Editor of Today in PT Presents Groundbreaking Physical Therapy Book Offering Humorous and Practical Reflections on Patient Care for Therapists and the - November 29, 2008
Naked Elbows: A Physical Therapist's Reflections on Patient Care, Intuition, and Healing, by Anne Ahlman, MPT, was just published by Gannett Healthcare Group, offering a fresh personal and professional look at the world of physical therapy....

Team approach for ALS patients - November 29, 2008
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressively degenerative neuromuscular condition that paralyzes the muscles of the body, even those that affect the ability to swallow and breathe....

Pasadena Doctor With Orange County Practice Indicted in $2.3 Million Medicare Fraud - November 29, 2008
A doctor has been indicted for fraudulently billing Medicare for approximately $2.3 million in physical therapy services....

Doctors Pay Up to Settle Fraud Claims - November 29, 2008
Six Las Vegas doctors have agreed to pay over $600,000 to the federal government to settle claims of Medicare fraud....

California Physical Therapists Promote Nintendo Wii for Core Strength and Fitness - November 21, 2008
With October being National Physical Therapy Awareness Month, expect Nintendo Wiis to be flying off the shelves. Among the first in line will be members of the California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA), who stand by the video game console and its accompanying sports and fitness games as one of the best therapeutic technology inventions to roll out in a long time. ...

Physical therapist assistant program proposes expansion
SIU School of Medicine campus could begin classes in 2010 - November 21, 2008
That proposal calls for PTA classes in Carbondale to be simultaneously taught at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, said Jan Rogers, the program's director. Students in Springfield would perform clinical work at Memorial Medical Center of Springfield, the teaching hospital attached to the School of Medicine and participate in Internet-based classes....

EntireCare helps athletes get back on their feet - November 21, 2008
The EntireCare department has expanded its facilities. Besides the facility located at the VVMC, the EntireCare department opened a location in Camp Verde. David Castillo and a small staff provide help with current patient needs as well as preventative programs in the area. ...

Trying to put a halt to falls - November 21, 2008
With an aging population and more people remaining in their homes into the twilight years, those who care for seniors are bracing for the difficult task of trying to catch seniors before they fall....

Exercise Rehab Appears Useful and Safe After Lumbar Disc Surgery - November 21, 2008
A review of 14 randomized controlled trials showed that performing some type of exercise after surgery was associated with significant improvements in pain and functional capability in the short term, without increasing the risk of another operation, Raymond Ostelo, Ph.D., of VU University Medical Center here, and colleagues reported in a Cochrane Review. ...

Therapist convicted of assault wants new trial - September 20, 2008
A former Limerick physical therapist convicted of having inappropriate contact with two female clients wants a new trial, alleging his lawyer didn't properly prepare him to testify....

St. John's Mercy Medical Center focus is on efficiency - September 20, 2008
When executives at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur noticed patients in wheelchairs lining the halls as they waited for physical and occupational therapy, they thought there must be a better way....

Feds probing complaint at Champaign County Nursing Home - September 20, 2008
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent investigators from a Medicare/Medicaid fraud unit to the nursing home on Friday, said Administrator Andrew Buffenbarger....

Lawmakers Probe Problems At State Schools - August 22, 2008
After investigations by the federal government and hearing a growing number of concerns raised by advocacy groups, state legislators hold a series of hearings and studies into problems at Texas State Schools....

Physical Therapists Applaud President Bush For Signing Legislation To Renew Higher Education Opportunity Act - August 20, 2008
Members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) applaud President Bush for signing into law the Higher Education Opportunity Act(HR 4137). This new law amends and extends the Higher Education Act of 1965. ...

Pet Rehabilitation Business Gains Strength: California Animal Rehabilitation Facility Sees Excess of 350 Pet Patients In First Year - August 20, 2008
Two Los Angeles area doctors are showing pet owners and veterinarians that rehabilitation gets their pet's paws moving better. Since opening in June 2007, California Animal Rehabilitation, Southern California's first physical rehabilitation center for pets as rehabilitation and the only facility of its kind in the U.S. owned and operated by both a veterinarian and a doctor of physical therapy, is fast becoming a welcome option in pet healthcare....

Birth to 3 program changes worry providers, parents - August 13, 2008
Proposed changes to the Birth to 3 program have parents and service providers nervous about what those changes will mean for kids like David Drolc, as well as what effect they'll have on the pocketbooks of the speech, occupational and physical therapists who work with them....

Physical therapists offer low-cost solution to high-cost expenditures for acute low back pain - August 12, 2008
New research shows that the type of physical therapy care provided for low back pain may impact subsequent health care costs...

Three Indian students score top physical therapist awards - August 11, 2008
The MGH Institute of Health Professions, an academic affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, recently gave its top three physical therapist awards to international students from India....

Foundation Awards $292,500 In Doctoral Scholarships To 25 Physical Therapists - July 28, 2008
The Foundation for Physical Therapy Board of Trustees recently awarded a total of $292,500 in Promotion of Doctoral Scholarships (PODS I & II) to 25 physical therapists....

Wii Fit Nintendo game makes physical therapy fun - July 22, 2008
Physical therapy is best served with a little camaraderie and light conversation, but therapist Nancy Ditzel also dished out some fun to recovering stroke patient Marilyn Smigelski recently. The LakeEast Hospital therapist put Smigelski to work on the latest Nintendo Wii video system game, called Fit. While the American Physical Therapy Association magazine recently reported widespread use among members of Wii games that simulate sports like tennis and bowling, the Lake hospital system is the first locally to use the Fit game in physical therapy. ...

Audit: Special Ed Students Not Getting Services - June 29, 2008
The New York City Department of Education must improve the timeliness of its evaluations and placements of special education student applicants, according to report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report also noted that the number of students who do not receive recommended support services, such as speech or physical therapy, doubled between 2003 and 2007....

New York state to start registry of home health aides - June 15, 2008
After a series of scandals in New York's home-health-care industry, legislative leaders and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo agreed on Wednesday to start a state registry of home health aides....

Utah's Nursing Homes: Compromised Care - June 15, 2008
A Salt Lake Tribune investigation of Utah's 91 nursing homes shows that ownership is probably the best predictor of quality care. But the public has no easy way to identify who owns the homes, particularly when names are changed to hide a troubled past....

DPT: Preventing Foreign Trained Physical Therapists to Work in The U.S.; New Website Creates Solutions By Providing Resources to Industry Information - May 4, 2008
Website Forum goers Weigh In: Credentialing Agencies are saying that Bachelor's Degree is not equivalent. Hospitals and clinics find it difficult to sponsor foreign-trained physical therapists for H1-b or greencard. PTSponsor.com has created an online job board where hospitals and clinics can hire foreign physical therapists directly without going through agencies. Foreign physical therapists can research articles and ptsponsor.com directory in order to get a U.S. physical therapy license....

Michigan Company May Buy Haven Nursing Homes - May 4, 2008
A Michigan company that operates 21 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in California and the Midwest is the leading contender to buy the bankrupt Haven Healthcare nursing-home chain - a bid that would preserve all 15 Haven homes in Connecticut, but that is contingent on its ability to secure Medicaid rate increases from the state....

Therapists question referral laws - May 4, 2008
Michigan doesn't allow direct access to physical therapy, unlike 44 other states plus the District of Columbia. However, it is ahead of Indiana and Alabama, which prohibit an individual from seeking an evaluation without a referral, according to Mike Shoemaker, legislative director for the Michigan Physical Therapy Association and an assistant professor in Grand Valley State University's physical therapy program....

Feds: Taxpayers paid for lavish life - May 4, 2008
The new title paid off big when Stinson collected more than $2 million in fees. The problem, federal prosecutors say, is that Stinson isn't a physical therapist, didn't get a license to run his business and failed to report his earnings to the IRS....

Physical therapist indicted - May 4, 2008
A Spotsylvania physical therapist assistant was indicted on sexual assault charges yesterday following a patient's complaint that she was inappropriately touched during a therapy session....

Confusion Surrounds Medicare Wheelchair Policies; AAHomecare Sponsors Workshop And Webinar To Find Answers - May 4, 2008
Even though the Medicare National Coverage Determination for Mobility Related Equipment was revamped in 2005, many providers and suppliers continue to be perplexed by complex policy requirements and strict protocols for physician and clinician documentation using the algorithmic approach to qualify the appropriate level of Mobility Assistive Equipment (MAE)....

Attorney General Conway Announces Indictments Of Three Therapists - April 4, 2008
Attorney General Jack Conway announced Thursday, that three Kentucky therapists from Letcher County have been indicted for Medicaid fraud....

Protect aid to those living with disabilities
We must protect this aid, avoid cuts in services - March 31, 2008
More than 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their family members and advocates descended on Capitol Hill this month to educate federal lawmakers on issues important to people with disabilities – from young children to adults....

Tax abatement for new nursing home in line for future approval - March 25, 2008
No one spoke against allowing a tax abatement for the future site of the expanding Garrison Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center at a public hearing held Tuesday prior to the Nacogdoches County commissioners court meeting, and commissioners are likely to approve the request next month....

State settles lawsuit over placement of disabled - March 21, 2008
More than 600 mentally retarded or developmentally disabled individuals will leave nursing homes in the next four years, to live more independently in an apartment, family home, or group setting, state officials announced yesterday. Services the state will provide to the individuals in their new homes include personal care assistants, nurses, and physical therapists. Many also will have access to recreational activities, educational opportunities, and job training....

Therapist's Office Manager Arrested For Larceny - March 19, 2008
GLENS FALLS-The former officer manager for a Glens Falls physical therapist has been charged with stealing $2,000 from the business....

Interprofessional Collaboration Between Physical Therapy and Special Education Faculty - March 12, 2008
This pilot study investigated a model for interprofessional collaboration between physical therapists (PTs) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a series of sessions in sensorimotor development taught by a physical therapy education program faculty member enhanced intervention planning and classroom instruction for teachers enrolled in a graduate course on child development....

Cleveland Clinic representative visit local pain management center - March 12, 2008
An Overland Park clinic specializing in behavioral pain management was visited recently by representatives of the prestigious Cleveland Clinic in Ohio who wanted to learn from the local operation....

Middlesboro ARH unveils new physical rehabilitation center and MRI - March 11, 2008
The rainy weather couldn't keep community supporters away on Friday, March 7, as Middlesboro Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) dedicated its new Physical Rehabilitation Center and MRI. A flood of supporters filled a tent constructed just outside of the center, where several individuals remarked upon the significance of the occasion....

Sunset passes retest from state health dept., has new administrator - March 11, 2008
Problems with paperwork led to the health department revisiting the local facility recently, and that visit went well, McGaugh said. "There were compliance issues," said Deb McGaugh, the new head of the Brush nursing home. "Care was never compromised."...

Surgery 'rorts' to be probed - March 3, 2008
The Alfred hospital and its suspended trauma chief are being investigated by the Victorian Ombudsman over claims of excessive surgery and suspicious billing....

Missouri board revokes license of Wentzville physician - March 3, 2008
The Missouri Board of Healing Arts revoked one local doctor's license and suspended the license of another in the last half of 2007. In addition, two other medical doctors and a physical therapist were disciplined in that time period, according to documents recently released by the board....

Ipswich woman sent to jail on fraud charges - March 3, 2008
BOSTON - An Ipswich woman was sentenced yesterday to a year in federal prison and ordered to pay or forfeit almost $128,000....

Capozzi seeks county Medicaid bills investigation - March 3, 2008
A former special counsel for Dauphin County who has been accused of padding his bills has asked the U.S. attorney's office to investigate the county for Medicaid fraud....

Ex-CEO from Orange admits to using rehab clinic for scheme authorities say raked in $3.5 million - March 3, 2008
A former chief executive officer from Orange could serve more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal health-care fraud charges....

Bucyrus anesthesiologist in court as part of FBI fraud investigation - March 3, 2008
CLEVELAND -- Bucyrus anesthesiologist Dr. Hany Maurice Iskander Ibrahim, 47, of Powell, appeared in United States District Court here Tuesday for a detention hearing....

More allegations surface against therapist - March 3, 2008
KALKASKA -- Another woman is alleging wrongdoing by a local physical therapist whose state license was suspended after he admitted to sexual contact with a patient. Mark Melton, 38, filed an appeal this week to get his license reinstated, but remains under investigation for potential insurance fraud after a state probe into an alleged sexual relationship with a patient and an employee....

Deering vindicated by Justice probe - March 3, 2008
Kerry Deering was in California when contacted Friday for his reaction to the conclusion of a United States Department of Justice investigation that exonerated him of any wrongdoing in a four-year long probe of Physiotherapy Associates....

Speech pathologist practicing in Coral Springs arrested for false Medicaid claims - March 3, 2008
A speech pathologist practicing in Coral Springs was recently charged with stealing more than $20,000 from the Florida Medicaid Program. Amy Heather Spielman, 32, was taken into custody by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after investigators revealed a scheme of submitting false billing claims to the Medicaid program for speech pathology services never rendered....

Maryland Attorney General: Bell Pleads Guilty to Felony Medicaid Fraud Company Received More Than $4,000,000 for Services Never Rendered - March 3, 2008
BALTIMORE, MD -- Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Guy Anthony Bell, 44, of the 2700 block of Tallow Tree Road in Woodstock, pled guilty in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to two counts of felony Medicaid Fraud for his role in billing the Medicaid program for more than $4,000,000 for services that were never performed. In all, Mr. Bell knowingly directed his employees to submit over 20,000 false statements to the Medicaid Program. As a result of the plea agreement, Bell will receive a jail sentence of between 24 and 30 months and will be required to make restitution payments. Sentencing is set for November 15, 2007....

MARYLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: Baltimore County Woman Charged with Medicaid Fraud - March 3, 2008
Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Siddi Jon, 48, of the 8900 block of Greens Lane in Randallstown was indicted by a Baltimore County grand jury with 18 counts of felony Medicaid fraud and felony theft....

Accused physical therapist may settle
Mark Melton allegedly had sexual contact with patients and an employee - March 2, 2008
KALKASKA -- A potential settlement caused the adjournment of a hearing over local physical therapist Mark Melton's state license suspension....

Freehold man, father are indicted in health care fraud - February 28, 2008
NEWARK - A Freehold man, his father and two others were named in a 22-count federal indictment Thursday on charges of health care fraud that included the participation of several unidentified doctors to further the scheme, the indictment says....

Peabody stressing over massage regulations - February 27, 2008
PEABODY-The State's new responsibility involving the regulation of massage therapists and establishments has rubbed the Peabody Board of Health the wrong way....

Two care homes under scrutiny - February 27, 2008
The future of two homes in Eastbourne is under the spotlight as part of a review by East Sussex County Council....

Washington state doctors, physical therapists battle over referrals - February 25, 2008
A legal dispute in Washington state has doctors worried that their ability to employ other licensed medical professionals -- and ultimately compete in health care -- may be compromised....

Audit finds purchasing issues at Remsenburg-Speonk - February 23, 2008
District officials paid $32,633 for physical and occupational therapy and special education and $6,900 in teacher aid without written contract or board approval, said to the audit, released Thursday by Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli....

Audits hit skilled nursing providers
Caregivers join rehabilitation hospitals in fight over claims - February 19, 2008
WASHINGTON – Concerns about a Medicare auditing program that have California rehabilitation hospitals screaming about denials of claims have spread to the skilled nursing sector....

Theft case dismissed against therapist - February 18, 2008
Theft charges have been dropped against a Lakewood physical therapist who was accused of overbilling the city of Wheat Ridge for his services two years ago....

Mental health reform goals unclear, some say - December 29, 2007
HIGH POINT - Six years into North Carolina's effort to remake its mental health safety net, the system still struggles to fix the problems that came with the overhaul....

Midland doctor indicted for fraud - December 29, 2007
A Midland doctor has been arrested for charging for medical procedures that never were performed....

Suit accuses United Healthcare of fraud
It says the company enrolled a woman in a Medicare alternative she didn't want - December 29, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - Like many older people, Charleen Edge finds today's smorgasbord of Medicare plans confusing. Last year, she says, she found herself in a private health maintenance organization she neither requested nor desired. Her repeated requests to switch back to regular Medicare went for naught....

Mom of 15 avoids jail in fraud case - December 29, 2007
A 49-year-old physician's assistant and mother of 15 children avoided jail time yesterday for stealing more than $50,000 in phony billing hours from local hospitals....

Ex-WNY doc admits $2M billing scam - December 29, 2007
A former Hudson County doctor admitted in state court yesterday that he bilked insurance companies out of more than $2 million by billing them for tests he never performed on patients involved in automobile accidents....

Testimony: Jesup doctor reguarly overbills public funds - December 29, 2007
lA Jesup physician billed Medicare at six times the proper sum for treatment not called for, a government witness testified in federal court Monday....

Texas Medical Board Disciplines Doctors - December 29, 2007
At its November 29-30 meeting, the Texas Medical Board took disciplinary action against 63 licensed physicians....

Four Miami Health Care Company Owners Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison For Medicare Fraud - December 29, 2007
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Four members of the same family, who owned and operated a series of Miami Durable Medicare Equipment (DME) companies and Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities have each been sentenced to 57 months in prison for Medicare fraud, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced today....

Bucks therapist charged with Medicare fraud - December 29, 2007
PHILADELPHIA-- A Yardley, Pa., physical therapist was charged yesterday with health care fraud for allegedly billing Medicare for $1.3 million in work that wasn't performed....

Billing practices result in arrest - December 29, 2007
A six-month investigation into the billing practices of a Midland chiropractor has resulted in criminal charges....

Judgments against New Jersey Chiropractic Clinics, Owners and Doctors Brings Liberty Mutual's 2001 Auto Insurance Fraud Lawsuit to a Close - December 29, 2007
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A lawsuit against an intricate auto insurance fraud network uncovered by Liberty Mutual investigators in the late 1990s came to a costly end last week for the owners of two now-defunct New Jersey chiropractic and rehabilitation clinics....

Federal grand jury indicts physician, chiropractor - December 29, 2007
A Savannah physician and a chiropractor have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Savannah on charges of conspiring to defraud Medicare and Medicaid....

Baltimore County Woman Charged with Medicaid Fraud - December 29, 2007
Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Siddi Jon, 48, of the 8900 block of Greens Lane in Randallstown was indicted by a Baltimore County grand jury with 18 counts of felony Medicaid fraud and felony theft....

Allstate Insurance Company Wins $3 Million Judgment Against Broe Rehabilitation Services, Inc. - December 29, 2007
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 21, 2006--Allstate Insurance Company has been awarded a jury verdict of $3 million against Broe Rehabilitation Services, Inc., a Farmington Hills, Mich.-based rehabilitation facility, and the owners, Timothy and Eleanor Broe. The Oakland County jury found in favor of Allstate and against Broe regarding payment by mistake of fact, insurance fraud, breach of contract and unjust enrichment....

Bell Pleads Guilty to Felony Medicaid Fraud
Company Received More Than $4,000,000 for Services Never Rendered - December 29, 2007
BALTIMORE, MD (September 20, 2007) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Guy Anthony Bell, 44, of the 2700 block of Tallow Tree Road in Woodstock, pled guilty in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to two counts of felony Medicaid Fraud for his role in billing the Medicaid program for more than $4,000,000 for services that were never performed. In all, Mr. Bell knowingly directed his employees to submit over 20,000 false statements to the Medicaid Program. As a result of the plea agreement, Bell will receive a jail sentence of between 24 and 30 months and will be required to make restitution payments. Sentencing is set for November 15, 2007....

Hammond health firm to settle in billing allegation - December 29, 2007
A Hammond health-care firm will pay $750,000 to settle allegations of filing improper Medicare claims. United Medical Services provided outpatient physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries at a clinic owned by John E. Mills....

Doctor Indicted in Verizon Billing Scam - December 29, 2007
NEW YORK - A physician whose wife vanished and was later found dead in the East River was arraigned Thursday on charges of running a "medical mill" that cheated the Verizon Communications Inc. health plan by fraudulent billing....

Businessman gets 15 years in jail for Medicare fraud
Defendant is accused of stealing around $900,000 - December 29, 2007
A Houston man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for stealing more than $900,000 from the Medicare program....

Man Convicted for Automobile Insurance Fraud, Reports U.S. Attorney - December 29, 2007
BOSTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal trial jury today convicted a Shrewsbury man of mail fraud, health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in connection with false billings to automobile insurance companies for medical tests....

Health care fraud charged - December 28, 2007
Three men who operated two physical therapy centers on Long Island were arrested yesterday by FBI agents on charges of defrauding dozens of insurance companies and the federal Medicare program out of $2.5 million, according to officials....

1st arrest made in Medicare fraud case - December 28, 2007
Federal agents on Wednesday brought the first criminal charge in what they say is a series of complex, multimillion-dollar schemes across Metro Detroit to bilk Medicare through fraudulent billing....

Clinic owner admits Medicare fraud - December 28, 2007
TRENTON - The owner of two physical therapy clinics, including one in Cherry Hill, admitted defrauding Medicare of about $3.8 million, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced....

Houston Man Investigated By Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Receives 15 Years In Prison For Theft - December 28, 2007
December 6, 2007 -- HOUSTON – A Houston durable medical equipment provider was sentenced to 15 years in state prison Wednesday for stealing more than $900,000 from the Medicare program. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case, along with the FBI and Office of Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC-OIG). The Harris County District Attorney's Office handled the prosecution....

Chiropractor charged with Medicaid fraud - December 28, 2007
HARRISBURG - The state Attorney General's Office charged a Bartonsville chiropractor with money-laundering and medication fraud Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal pain killer prescriptions in Luzerne County....

Chiropractor, Clinic Owner and Doctor Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Reports U.S. Attorney - December 28, 2007
BOSTON, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Three men from Gloucester, Newton and Marblehead were sentenced late yesterday in federal court on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, health care fraud, and money laundering....

Newport News chiropractor charged with health care fraud
The U.S. attorney's office says a Newport News chiropractor submitted fraudulent bills - December 28, 2007
NEWPORT NEWS - - The U.S. attorney's office has charged a Newport News chiropractor with health care fraud, saying he intentionally billed health management companies for services he never performed....

Physical therapist pleads to fraud scam
His seven-month scheme stole more than $700,000 - December 28, 2007
A physical therapist has admitted scheming with his wife, a Wayne County doctor and the doctor's wife to steal more than $700,000 in government health-care reimbursements over a seven-month period....

Electronic Medical Billing Software and Service Compliance in Physical Therapy Office - December 15, 2007
According to BillingWiki, thirteen articles and news items were published on the topic of medical billing fraud, during May of 2006. An environment of high volume of patient encounters creates thousands of possibilities to deviate from normal distribution of services and trigger an audit. Real time analysis requires powerful technology infrastructure and competent legal coverage. Such infrastructure must handle all compliance aspects together, which necessitates modern Vericle-type integrative approach, combining billing, monitoring, and medical record management components in a single and comprehensive system....

Businessman gets 15 years in jail for Medicare fraud - December 9, 2007
Defendant is accused of stealing around $900,000. Testimony in state District Judge Devon Anderson's court also showed that Onwuegbusi overbilled Medicaid for physical therapy services, some that were never provided....

Bakersfield clinic operator charged with insurance fraud - December 3, 2007
Three members of a Bakersfield family have been charged with insurance fraud, according to the state insurance commissioner's office....

Newport News chiropractor charged with health care fraud - December 3, 2007
The U.S. attorney's office has charged a Newport News chiropractor with health care fraud, saying he intentionally billed health management companies for services he never performed....

Monroe county chiropractor arrested on money laundering and Medicaid fraud charges - November 23, 2007
A Monroe County Chiropractor was arrested Thursday on money laundering and Medicaid fraud charges in connection with an ongoing investigation into the illegal prescription of painkillers in the Wilkes-Barre area, Attorney General Tom Corbett said Thursday....

Physical Therapist Charged with Medicaid Fraud - November 23, 2007
A Newington physical therapist was arrested today and charged with billing the state's Medicaid program for services he never provided to residents of a Newington group home....