Washington Cutting more Medicare and Medicaid providers and investigations into fraudulent provider claims are just two priorities on the agenda for the Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services, according to its fiscal 2000 work plan.

The plan, which outlines the agency's initiatives for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1, 1999, said the OIG anticipates "increasing the number of program exclusions" for providers and intends to issue an advisory bulletin at a later date regarding the effects of the cuts.

On the fraud front, the plan states that the OIG will investigate a "broad range" of suspected fraud and will present cases for both criminal and civil prosecution for providers filing false claims.

Numerous other priorities made the agency's to-do list for fiscal 2000, including the following:

* Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier operations: The OIG will assess whether the establishment of the DMERCs has met its intended objectives and how effective the DMERCs are in regard to medical guidelines, detection and referral of fraudulent activity, and oversight of claim processing.

* Duplicate billings for medical equipment and supplies: This study will attempt to determine to what extent providers and home health agencies are double-billing for medical equipment and supplies.

* Balance billing for medical equipment and supplies: This study will assess the extent to which providers that do not accept assignment bill beneficiaries more than the Medicare-allowed 20 percent.

* Appropriateness of home medical equipment and supplies: This series of studies will review the appropriateness of Medicare payments for certain HME. Studies may include osteogenesis stimulators, airway-pressure devices, ventilators, lower-limb prosthetics and seat lift mechanisms.

* Medicare payments for orthotics: This study will determine if Medicare is continuing to inappropriately pay for orthotics. The OIG cited an October 1997 report that found at least 19 percent of orthotics were medically unnecessary. The agency said it made recommendations to fix the problems; however, corrective action has yet to be implemented.

* Blood glucose test strips: The OIG will review the appropriateness of Medicare claims and payments for blood glucose test strips, citing a sharp increase in billings and payments for the strips in recent years as cause for the review.

* Comparison of payment safeguard activities: The OIG will compare Medicare and Medicaid payment safeguard activities with other health care payers to see if their approaches could be adapted to Health Care Financing Administration programs. The OIG cited the rise in expenditures and public awareness in health care fraud as reasons to look for new payment safeguards.

* Identifying and collecting overpayments: This study will assess contractors' effectiveness to identify and collect Medicare overpayments. The OIG also wil l look at Medicare Secondary Payer overpayments.

The work plan also outlines several other OIG priorities affecting various segments of the health care industry. The entire work plan can be accessed at the OIG Web site (www.hhs.gov/progorg/oig/wrkpln/index.htm).

Bidding Appeal Denied Tampa, Fla. In a blow to the industry's efforts to stop competitive bidding, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected Florid a Association of Medical Equipment Services' claim that the demonstration project in Polk County, Fla., violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It also found that FAMES suffered no injury when the Health Care Financing Administration proceeded with the project without a formal notice and comment period.

WHO: Foot Health Network

WHERE: www.foothealthnetwork.com

WHAT: From Achilles tendinitis to plantar fasciitis, FootHealthNetwork.com is a comprehensive foot health care site that features numerous foot conditions and their appropriate treatments.

The interactive site offers an arena for medical director Suzanne Belyea to answer questions and a chat room with other footcare professionals.

Sponsored by Apex Foot Health Industries, FootHealthNetwork.com offers access to provider locations around the world. Retailers of foot products have the option of becoming a FootHealthNetwork.com "partner," a feature that includes a customized Web site and domain name, as well as a link to the site.

The Footcare Tip of the Week in the News and Information section offers footcare advice, such as choosing the right shoe and properly removing corns. You can also find recent articles addressing sports foot injuries, diabetes footcare and Medicare's therapeutic shoe bill, as well as trends in footwear.

Whether you are a provider, a patient searching for advice or a footcare professional, FootHealthNetwork.com is a site worth seeing.