Home Health & Hospice Week
7-Year Prison Terms Upheld For HHA Owners
Treating a company pension fund like a personal bank account is asking for serious trouble from the feds, as the owners of a Louisiana home health agency chain have learned the hard way. A federal appeals court July 17 affirmed a seven-year prison term for John Herring and Martha Sewell Herring, former owners of the Bayou State's "Golden Age" chain and a number of related businesses. The Herrings were convicted of conspiracy, pension plan theft, health care fraud and bankruptcy fraud. The Herrings transferred HHA funds - primarily derived from Medicare reimbursement - into the agencies' pension funds, then immediately siphoned the funds into their real estate investments and other businesses. When faced with paying back years of overpayments and disallowed costs, the pair put the HHAs into bankruptcy and concealed the debt their other enterprises owed the agencies. After their conviction, the Herrings appealed for relief to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - but to no avail (U.S. v. Herring [No. 02-30533]). The case is at www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/OpinHome.cfm.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- OASIS:
Brace For Expanded Medical Review In Wake of M0175 Probe
One intermediary overpaid HHAs by $2 million in 2001 alone, based on incorrect OASIS responses. [...] - Reimbursement:
Increase M0175 Accuracy With These Steps - Before It's Too Late
If you fail to tighten up your procedures for the newest hot button OASIS item, [...] - Medicaid:
CMS Urges States To Cover HME Before Discharge
HME keeps beneficiaries in their homes and out of institutions. More Medicaid business could be [...] - Recruitment & Retention:
Boost Recognition To Reduce Turnover
To improve worker commitment and cut turnover costs, your company should have more ambassadors than [...] - Fraud & Abuse:
DME Sting Snares $600M Enteral Nutrition Settlement
Federal agents pose as DME suppliers A massive settlement based on misdeeds surrounding sales and [...] - Enforcement:
7-Year Prison Terms Upheld For HHA Owners
Treating a company pension fund like a personal bank account is asking for serious trouble [...] - Industry Notes:
Final Data Specs Out For OASIS 1.40
If you don't start submitting OASIS data in a new format by Oct. 1, you'll [...] - HIPAA:
4 Tips For Successfully Handling HIPAA Complaints
Even if you have a top-notch privacy compliance program in place, you're bound to be [...]
