Fraud Warrants Separate Crime Unit in Mass.: Mass-achusetts U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan has created a separate health care fraud unit at his Boston-based office. In the past, health care fraud was part of Massachusetts' economic crimes unit, but the state's “continued prosecutions warranted the creation of a unit devoted solely to health care fraud,” similar to units that investigate drugs and organized crime, Sullivan said.

HIPAA Guides Available for Calif. Providers: The California HealthCare Foundation has published a guide designed to assist California health care providers in understanding and implementing the requirements of the Federal Health Privacy Rule. The rule is mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The guide, entitled “Implementing the Federal Health Privacy Rule in California,” explains how the federal privacy laws interact with existing California privacy law, according to CHCF. The guide is available in three versions-one each for health care providers, health insurers and health care service plans, and pharmacists, physical therapists and others — and is available for download at the CHCF Web site, www.chcf.org. Kansas' Working Disabled Get Boost from HHS: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 15 approved a Kansas plan to allow people with disabilities who return to work to keep their Medicaid coverage. According to the plan, Kansas will extend its Medicaid eligibility to cover disabled workers, ages 16 to 64, with family incomes of up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

“Most people with disabilities want to work and live independently, and Kansas is now making it possible for Kansans with disabilities to find and keep jobs without the fear of losing their health care coverage,” said HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson.

According to HHS, Kansas was able to make this change to its Medicaid program due in part to grants from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. Kansas received more than $500,000 in Ticket to Work grants in 2001 and will receive another $500,000 this year.

The state expects the change will affect almost 1,000 workers with disabilities.

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