LOS ANGELES—A Ventura County physician who worked for two Pasadena hospices pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare out of more than $3 million by billing the public health insurance program for medically unnecessary hospice services.
Victor Contreras, 68, of Santa Paula, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud.
ROSEVILLE, California—In these peak summer months, Always Best Care franchise teams nationwide are encouraging seniors and their families to take skin cancer awareness seriously. As leading providers of non-medical in-home care and senior living referral services, Always Best Care professionals know caregivers can play a crucial role in monitoring seniors for any concerning skin changes and helping them get prompt medical attention when needed.
The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) reported that UnitedHealthcare (UHC) recently notified suppliers of its plans to delay implementation of substantially revised HME order and fulfillment processes for DME for members of their Medicare Advantage (MA) plans who are enrolled in HMO and PPO products in North Carolina and Georgia. The implementation date is being moved back one month, from August 1 to September 1.
JACKSONVILLE, Florida—Tallio, a health care technology innovation company, announced a strategic partnership with MatrixCare, an out-of-hospital care software. This collaboration aims to transform how home health and hospice organizations complete documentation, improving the clinician experience and unlocking staff capacity while empowering clinicians to focus more on patient care, Tallio said.
BOSTON—A Westford woman was convicted Friday, July 19, 2024 following a nine-day jury trial in federal court in Boston in connection with a home health care fraud scheme.
CHICAGO, Illinois—The office manager for a suburban Chicago medical equipment boutique has been indicted on federal health care fraud charges for allegedly billing private insurers for products that were never provided, including breast prostheses, compression garments and wigs for cancer survivors.
SILVERDALE, Washington—Family Resource Home Care, an independently owned home care company in the Pacific Northwest, announced the opening of its newest location in Silverdale, Washington. The company said the expansion represents its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for clients and their families while also creating valuable caregiving career opportunities within the local community.
CHICAGO, Illinois—The Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) announced that it is awarding more than $4 million in grants to 21 community-based service providers to increase the availability of quality dementia-specific respite care. The CDRI is administered through a partnership of the Alzheimer’s Association, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and USAging.
ST. LOUIS, Missouri—EmpowerMe Wellness announced it has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new Medicare alternative payment model designed to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.
STATESVILLE, North—Iredell Home Health, a part of Iredell Health System, achieved accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC).
Accreditation is a process through which health care organizations demonstrate compliance with national standards. Iredell said its accreditation by ACHC reflects its dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.
