BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HLS) today announced it will participate in the Barclays Capital Global Healthcare Conference on March 10-11, 2009, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in South Beach, Fla.
HealthSouth President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Grinney and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John Workman will be speaking on Tuesday, March 10, at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The presentation will be webcast live and will be available at http://investor.healthsouth.com by clicking on an available link.
OMG!! ANOTHER LARGEST in the NATION!!!!
Pay attention AMERICANS!
About HealthSouth
HealthSouth is the nation's largest provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellites, and home health agencies. HealthSouth strives to be the nation's preeminent provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services and can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.
Media Contact
Andy Brimmer, 205-410-2777
Investor Relations Contact
Mary Ann Arico, 205-969-6175
maryann.arico@healthsouth.com
Showing posts with label Healthcare Fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthcare Fraud. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Friday, December 5, 2008
HHS and DOJ Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program
HHS and DOJ Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program
Annual Report For FY 2007
The Department of Health and Human Services And The Department of Justice Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program
Annual Report For FY 2007,
November 2008
"The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) established a national Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC or the Program), under the joint direction of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)1, acting through the Department’s Inspector General (HHS/OIG), designed to coordinate Federal, state and local law enforcement activities with respect to health care fraud and abuse. In its eleventh year of operation, the Program’s continued success again confirms the soundness of a collaborative approach to identify and prosecute the most egregious instances of health care fraud, to prevent future fraud or abuse, and to protect program beneficiaries."
Permanent Link Topic(s): E-Government, Government Documents
Annual Report For FY 2007
The Department of Health and Human Services And The Department of Justice Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program
Annual Report For FY 2007,
November 2008
"The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) established a national Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC or the Program), under the joint direction of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)1, acting through the Department’s Inspector General (HHS/OIG), designed to coordinate Federal, state and local law enforcement activities with respect to health care fraud and abuse. In its eleventh year of operation, the Program’s continued success again confirms the soundness of a collaborative approach to identify and prosecute the most egregious instances of health care fraud, to prevent future fraud or abuse, and to protect program beneficiaries."
Permanent Link Topic(s): E-Government, Government Documents
Eight-count indictment for Fabian Aurignac ; health care fraud,...
McAllen Cardiologist Indicted For Health Care Fraud
Monday , December 01, 2008 Posted: 11:46 AM
Suspect faces up to 10 years in prison and fine of $250,000, if convicted
MCALLEN - A federal grand jury in McAllen has indicted cardiologist Fabian Aurignac for health care fraud, acting United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. Aurignac, formerly of McAllen, was arrested today in Austin, Texas, where he was to appear before the Texas Medical Board for a hearing regarding the suspension of his medical license. He is expected to make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Austin today at 3:00 p.m. The case will be prosecuted in McAllen.
The eight-count indictment, returned under seal Oct. 21, 2008, and unsealed today following his arrest, accuses Aurignac of defrauding the Medicaid and Medicare health care benefit programs by means of false and fraudulent claims in connection with the use of unlicensed, foreign doctors and medical personal and for billing for medical services not rendered. Aurignac, 45, faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, if convicted.
The investigation leading to the charges in this case was conducted by the FBI and the Texas Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Ferko is prosecuting the case. An Indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law
Monday , December 01, 2008 Posted: 11:46 AM
Suspect faces up to 10 years in prison and fine of $250,000, if convicted
MCALLEN - A federal grand jury in McAllen has indicted cardiologist Fabian Aurignac for health care fraud, acting United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. Aurignac, formerly of McAllen, was arrested today in Austin, Texas, where he was to appear before the Texas Medical Board for a hearing regarding the suspension of his medical license. He is expected to make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Austin today at 3:00 p.m. The case will be prosecuted in McAllen.
The eight-count indictment, returned under seal Oct. 21, 2008, and unsealed today following his arrest, accuses Aurignac of defrauding the Medicaid and Medicare health care benefit programs by means of false and fraudulent claims in connection with the use of unlicensed, foreign doctors and medical personal and for billing for medical services not rendered. Aurignac, 45, faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, if convicted.
The investigation leading to the charges in this case was conducted by the FBI and the Texas Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Ferko is prosecuting the case. An Indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law
Monday, December 1, 2008
3 doctors sentenced to prison in health care fraud
ATLANTA (AP) An orthopedic surgeon and two chiropractors were sentenced Thursday to federal prison for cheating insurance companies out of $3 million by mislabeling treatments for back pain.
The sentences are the latest in Georgia to result from a back pain treatment known as Vertebral Axial Decompression.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Dr. Howard Berkowitz, 58, of Atlanta was sentenced Thursday to 18 months, and the chiropractors, 67-year-old Arthur Hargraves of Douglasville, Ga., and 52-year-old Daniel Puffenberger of Kissimmee, Fla., each got three years and five months.
Berkowitz pleaded guilty and testified against his former partners in the Associated Spinal Care Network, which operated clinics in north Georgia and Tennessee. Prosecutors said the network faked reports to be reimbursed by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia for the Vax-D procedure, which was not covered by the insurance company.
VAX-D is a non-invasive treatment that uses a mechanical table to stretch a patient's spine. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia considered it investigational and not medically necessary, and made clear to health care providers that it did not cover the procedure.
The three men were convicted of using a different billing code that pertained to surgical nerve decompression, instead of the specific code assigned to VAX-D, to bill the company for more than $3 million from 2001 through 2005.
On Nov. 10, a federal jury in Atlanta convicted another chiropractor of a similar scheme. His two partners had already pleaded guilty. Another man pleaded guilty in 2005 to the same scheme at clinics in Albany and Columbus, Ga.
In the Northern District of Georgia, seven medical professionals have been convicted, and five were sentenced to a total of over 14 years in prison with monetary judgments topping $7 million.
The sentences are the latest in Georgia to result from a back pain treatment known as Vertebral Axial Decompression.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Dr. Howard Berkowitz, 58, of Atlanta was sentenced Thursday to 18 months, and the chiropractors, 67-year-old Arthur Hargraves of Douglasville, Ga., and 52-year-old Daniel Puffenberger of Kissimmee, Fla., each got three years and five months.
Berkowitz pleaded guilty and testified against his former partners in the Associated Spinal Care Network, which operated clinics in north Georgia and Tennessee. Prosecutors said the network faked reports to be reimbursed by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia for the Vax-D procedure, which was not covered by the insurance company.
VAX-D is a non-invasive treatment that uses a mechanical table to stretch a patient's spine. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia considered it investigational and not medically necessary, and made clear to health care providers that it did not cover the procedure.
The three men were convicted of using a different billing code that pertained to surgical nerve decompression, instead of the specific code assigned to VAX-D, to bill the company for more than $3 million from 2001 through 2005.
On Nov. 10, a federal jury in Atlanta convicted another chiropractor of a similar scheme. His two partners had already pleaded guilty. Another man pleaded guilty in 2005 to the same scheme at clinics in Albany and Columbus, Ga.
In the Northern District of Georgia, seven medical professionals have been convicted, and five were sentenced to a total of over 14 years in prison with monetary judgments topping $7 million.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Here is one person's definition of Healthcare Fraud...a tip of the GLACIER!
Health Care Fraud Costs Billions
October 10th, 2008 · No Comments
By: LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.
What is Health Care Fraud? Health care fraud occurs when health care professionals make false or misleading statements in order to benefit financially. Health care schemes are diverse and often complex.
Examples include overbilling, billing for services not even provided, double billing for the same procedure, billing for a more expensive procedure than actually performed, or billing separately for items that are less expensive when bundled together (for example a group lab tests). It is also fraudulent to receive a “kickback” for referring a patient to another doctor. Doctors have even been caught selling prescriptions to patients for cash.
Part of the reason health care fraud is so prevalent is because health care is so expensive and is such a massive system. It is not unusual for a carrier to cut a check for over $100,000 to someone it does not even know! Because it is so prevalent, billions of dollars are being drained from the Medicaid and Medicare Industries on fraudulent claims. Scam artists often close up shop and flee before investigators can even attempt to recover the fraudulently obtained funds.
However, the Justice Department has made health care fraud a top priority. Many investigations are the result of complaints from patients and the public at large. Because fraud is conducted for the most part “in secret” these tip-offs from health care consumers are extremely valuable to the FBI and other law enforcement officials. Criminal penalties for health care fraud can be very severe. If you are involved in a health care practice you believe may be considered fraudulent, contact an attorney for more information.
October 10th, 2008 · No Comments
By: LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.
What is Health Care Fraud? Health care fraud occurs when health care professionals make false or misleading statements in order to benefit financially. Health care schemes are diverse and often complex.
Examples include overbilling, billing for services not even provided, double billing for the same procedure, billing for a more expensive procedure than actually performed, or billing separately for items that are less expensive when bundled together (for example a group lab tests). It is also fraudulent to receive a “kickback” for referring a patient to another doctor. Doctors have even been caught selling prescriptions to patients for cash.
Part of the reason health care fraud is so prevalent is because health care is so expensive and is such a massive system. It is not unusual for a carrier to cut a check for over $100,000 to someone it does not even know! Because it is so prevalent, billions of dollars are being drained from the Medicaid and Medicare Industries on fraudulent claims. Scam artists often close up shop and flee before investigators can even attempt to recover the fraudulently obtained funds.
However, the Justice Department has made health care fraud a top priority. Many investigations are the result of complaints from patients and the public at large. Because fraud is conducted for the most part “in secret” these tip-offs from health care consumers are extremely valuable to the FBI and other law enforcement officials. Criminal penalties for health care fraud can be very severe. If you are involved in a health care practice you believe may be considered fraudulent, contact an attorney for more information.
Monday, February 18, 2008
$3 billion collapse in 2002.....Keep Digging
Friday, February 15, 2008
Defense lawyers try to put National Century star witness in poor light
A key government witness in its case against five executives of National Century Financial Enterprises Inc. has "psychological issues," a former company employee testified Friday in the 10th day of the fraud trial.
Sherry L. Gibson, once an executive vice president at National Century, is expected to testify next week that she was at the center of an alleged fraud involving senior managers that lead to the Dublin firm's nearly $3 billion collapse in 2002. But defense attorneys got company insider Jessica Bily to say Friday that Gibson was unstable.
Bily, who was an associate vice president in National Century's funding department, recounted for defense attorneys that Gibson treated her staff poorly and in a "demeaning manner." On at least one occasion, she said, Gibson marched all of the women in her department into the restroom for "Toilet Paper 101" because someone hadn't replaced a roll of toilet paper.
Bily said many people at the company tried to avoid Gibson; in her case, she used a senior executive as a buffer.
Gibson was indicted with the other National Century executives but pleaded guilty to fraud charges in 2003 and was ordered to forfeit her entire net worth, estimated $300,000 to $500,000. She is also expected to testify that Lance Poulsen, National Century's CEO, attempted to bribe her with $500,000 last summer to change her testimony.
National Century, now defunct, bought accounts receivables from health-care providers at a discount, packaging the receivables as bonds and selling the securities to investors while collecting on its customers' bills. The Justice Department has accused the executives of using those accounts to defraud investors and divert money for their own benefit.
Five company executives are facing criminal fraud, conspiracy and money laundering charges - Rebecca Parrett, Donald Ayers, Randolph Speer, Roger Faulkenberry and James Dierker.
Poulsen and executive James Happ are scheduled to be tried separately later this year.
All have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Defense lawyers Friday asked Bily about a wide range of issues, particularly information she gave to government agents that wasn't brought up earlier when she testified under questioning by Justice Department lawyers.
Bily told jurors Wednesday and Thursday there wasn't enough money in two key company accounts to meet government and investor fiduciary requirements because National Century was sending out millions of dollars in unsecured advances to clients. Because of the shortfall, she said, National Century transferred money between accounts to keep investors from finding out.
Under questioning from Parrett's lawyer, Gregory Peterson, Bily admitted the unsecured advances she was concerned about could have been supported by collateral from clients. She also acknowledged auditors knew about unsecured advances National Century was making to clients and they specifically directed her department to create a special bookkeeping category so the advances could be tracked.
Computer systems operating at National Century were also at times inefficient and unreliable, Bily said, which caused bookkeeping problems.
Frederick Benton, the attorney for Speer, asked if there were others responsible for major decisions made at the company besides the defendants, and Bily answered that the board of directors and bank trustees were also important to National Century's day-to-day operations.
Attorneys also attempted to cast doubt on Bily's expertise within her department, getting her to say she never read corporation documents that laid out how her department was expected to work. Bily said she reviewed some of those documents, but mostly relied on the training she received from superiors.
Defense lawyers try to put National Century star witness in poor light
A key government witness in its case against five executives of National Century Financial Enterprises Inc. has "psychological issues," a former company employee testified Friday in the 10th day of the fraud trial.
Sherry L. Gibson, once an executive vice president at National Century, is expected to testify next week that she was at the center of an alleged fraud involving senior managers that lead to the Dublin firm's nearly $3 billion collapse in 2002. But defense attorneys got company insider Jessica Bily to say Friday that Gibson was unstable.
Bily, who was an associate vice president in National Century's funding department, recounted for defense attorneys that Gibson treated her staff poorly and in a "demeaning manner." On at least one occasion, she said, Gibson marched all of the women in her department into the restroom for "Toilet Paper 101" because someone hadn't replaced a roll of toilet paper.
Bily said many people at the company tried to avoid Gibson; in her case, she used a senior executive as a buffer.
Gibson was indicted with the other National Century executives but pleaded guilty to fraud charges in 2003 and was ordered to forfeit her entire net worth, estimated $300,000 to $500,000. She is also expected to testify that Lance Poulsen, National Century's CEO, attempted to bribe her with $500,000 last summer to change her testimony.
National Century, now defunct, bought accounts receivables from health-care providers at a discount, packaging the receivables as bonds and selling the securities to investors while collecting on its customers' bills. The Justice Department has accused the executives of using those accounts to defraud investors and divert money for their own benefit.
Five company executives are facing criminal fraud, conspiracy and money laundering charges - Rebecca Parrett, Donald Ayers, Randolph Speer, Roger Faulkenberry and James Dierker.
Poulsen and executive James Happ are scheduled to be tried separately later this year.
All have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Defense lawyers Friday asked Bily about a wide range of issues, particularly information she gave to government agents that wasn't brought up earlier when she testified under questioning by Justice Department lawyers.
Bily told jurors Wednesday and Thursday there wasn't enough money in two key company accounts to meet government and investor fiduciary requirements because National Century was sending out millions of dollars in unsecured advances to clients. Because of the shortfall, she said, National Century transferred money between accounts to keep investors from finding out.
Under questioning from Parrett's lawyer, Gregory Peterson, Bily admitted the unsecured advances she was concerned about could have been supported by collateral from clients. She also acknowledged auditors knew about unsecured advances National Century was making to clients and they specifically directed her department to create a special bookkeeping category so the advances could be tracked.
Computer systems operating at National Century were also at times inefficient and unreliable, Bily said, which caused bookkeeping problems.
Frederick Benton, the attorney for Speer, asked if there were others responsible for major decisions made at the company besides the defendants, and Bily answered that the board of directors and bank trustees were also important to National Century's day-to-day operations.
Attorneys also attempted to cast doubt on Bily's expertise within her department, getting her to say she never read corporation documents that laid out how her department was expected to work. Bily said she reviewed some of those documents, but mostly relied on the training she received from superiors.
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