U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said 14 healthcare practitioners were arrested this week and charged with receiving monthly bribes in connection with referring patients to the radiology and diagnostic facility in Orange. The investigation is ongoing and authorities said they have not established whether the alleged referrals were made for insured patients in need of testing or simply sent to Orange Community just to bring business to the testing center.
A contract dispute between one of California's largest health insurers and UCLA could force thousands of patients at the university's medical centers to seek treatment elsewhere if the disagreement is not resolved by the end of December. Blue Shield says the rates for care at at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood and nearby Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital have nearly doubled in the last five years, and the costs for inpatient treatments are already 41% higher than what it pays on average in Southern California hospitals overall.
Medicare will not pay prescription-drug bills if officials see evidence of fraud, which will let them avoid chasing down money after it has been paid out, Vice President Biden announced Tuesday. Tuesday's move means Medicare can now stop payment when fraud is first detected in the Part D prescription-drug program instead of waiting until after a claim is paid. Under the old "pay and chase" scenario.
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul wants the federal government out of the health care business. Paul is known for his libertarian views, and he's drawing lots of people in this week's swing through New Hampshire. He told an overflow crowd of about 500 at an event Tuesday night that there's no provision in the Constitution for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal programs that cover millions of seniors and children. Paul says he doesn't want to throw seniors and children off federal health care programs. But he says a free society shouldn't let government meddle in important services like health care.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has launched a statewide Advance Health Care Directive Registry, which securely stores documents that detail healthcare wishes when a patient is unable to speak for themselves. These documents include medical power of attorney and do-not-resuscitate orders. An advance directive lets family members and physicians know the extent and types of medical care that patients want and do not want if they are unable to express it, such as breathing machines and feeding tube.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell has won the release of numerous documents related to the proposed merger of University Hospital with two other health-care companies. Under a settlement signed Tuesday, the hospital and the University of Louisville agreed to give O'Connell records, including the June 14 agreement to consolidate the three health-care systems into one. The merger, which requires the approval of Gov. Steve Beshear, would combine University Hospital with Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and Lexington-based St. Joseph Health System.