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While Republicans lambast the cost of implementing health care reform, a new report shows that their efforts to repeal the law have come at a major cost to taxpayers -- to the tune of nearly $50 million. The House of Representatives again voted to repeal President Obama's signature health care law on Wednesday, marking the 33rd time Republicans have attempted to take down the legislation. The 32 previous repeal efforts faltered at the hands of the Democrat-controlled Senate; the latest attempt is unlikely to break that pattern. According to a report by CBS News, these efforts, widely viewed as symbolic political maneuvers, come with a high price tag. CBS' Nancy Cordes reported Wednesday that Republicans' many fruitless attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act have taken up at least 80 hours of time on the House floor since 2010, amounting to two full work weeks. As the House, according to the Congressional Research Service, costs taxpayers $24 million a week to operate, those two weeks amounted to a total cost of approximately $48 million. The AP relays background on the GOP's repeal efforts: There was never any doubt that Republicans had the votes to pass the repeal in the House on Wednesday - or that it would die in the Senate, where Democrats possessed more than enough strength to block it. That's what happened in January 2011, when the newly installed Republican majority first voted to repeal the law a few days after taking office. In the months since, the GOP has taken repeated further swipes at the law, including votes to deny salaries to any government officials who enforce it, to abolish a board of officials charged with holding down Medicare costs in the future and to repeal a tax on medical devices. With the exception of a few relatively modest changes accepted by the White House, all the rest have died in the Senate. Although Republicans have remained vocal on repeal since the Supre

Police have arrested more than 1,900 people suspected of making and selling fake medicine in a series of raids on underground production bases, the Ministry of Public Security said on Sunday. The nationwide operation, which started on July 25 and involved 18,000 police officers in 31 provincial-level regions, has crushed 24 networks manufacturing counterfeit medical products worth 1.16 billion yuan ($182 million). Police seized 205 million tablets designed to look like brand-name products for treating hypertension, diabetes, skin diseases and cancer, the ministry said. Some medicines contained sibutramine, a chemical used to treat obesity that was banned by the State Food and Drug Administration in 2010 due to fears that it increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. The suspects also put sedative and hallucinogenic chemicals into the tablets to deceive consumers into believing that the fake drugs had an effect. Police also found bottles of normal saline solution labeled as a rabies vaccine. The ministry said it has destroyed a large number of production sites and trade channels in the past two years. However, the crime is "far from being rooted out, as such criminals have come up with new methods", the ministry said in its online statement. The ministry also said it had found sham promotions of fake products on the Internet, television and magazines during the crackdown. A ministry spokesperson warned that people should purchase medicines in hospitals and pharmacies who are trusted vendors of genuine products, and advised against buying medicines that do not have approved names and numbers distributed by the SFDA. "The ministry welcomes reports on the manufacture and sale of fake drugs," read the ministry statement. "We will reward informers 500 to 50,000 yuan if the report is found to be true. We offer ample rewards to those who play an important role in cracking large gangs committing such crimes." Li Zhongdong, a pharmacist at the Air Force General

Police have arrested more than 1,900 people suspected of making and selling fake medicine ina series of raids on underground production bases, the Ministry of Public Security said onSunday. The nationwide operation, which started on July 25 and involved 18,000 police officers in 31provincial-level regions, has crushed 24 networks manufacturing counterfeit medical productsworth 1.16 billion yuan ($182 million). Police seized 205 million tablets designed to look like brand-name products for treatinghypertension, diabetes, skin diseases and cancer, the ministry said. Some medicines contained sibutramine, a chemical used to treat obesity that was banned bythe State Food and Drug Administration in 2010 due to fears that it increases the risk ofcardiovascular problems. The suspects also put sedative and hallucinogenic chemicals into the tablets to deceiveconsumers into believing that the fake drugs had an effect. Police also found bottles of normal saline solution labeled as a rabies vaccine. The ministry said it has destroyed a large number of production sites and trade channels in thepast two years. However, the crime is "far from being rooted out, as such criminals have come up with newmethods", the ministry said in its online statement. The ministry also said it had found sham promotions of fake products on the Internet, televisionand magazines during the crackdown. A ministry spokesperson warned that people should purchase medicines in hospitals andpharmacies who are trusted vendors of genuine products, and advised against buyingmedicines that do not have approved names and numbers distributed by the SFDA. "The ministry welcomes reports on the manufacture and sale of fake drugs," read the ministrystatement. "We will reward informers 500 to 50,000 yuan if the report is found to be true. Weoffer ample rewards to those who play an important role in cracking large gangs committingsuch crimes." Li Zhongdong, a pharmacist at the Air Force General Hospital in Bei

Police have arrested more than 1,900 people suspected of making and selling fake medicine ina series of raids on underground production bases, the Ministry of Public Security said onSunday. The nationwide operation, which started on July 25 and involved 18,000 police officers in 31provincial-level regions, has crushed 24 networks manufacturing counterfeit medical productsworth 1.16 billion yuan ($182 million). Police seized 205 million tablets designed to look like brand-name products for treatinghypertension, diabetes, skin diseases and cancer, the ministry said. Some medicines contained sibutramine, a chemical used to treat obesity that was banned bythe State Food and Drug Administration in 2010 due to fears that it increases the risk ofcardiovascular problems. The suspects also put sedative and hallucinogenic chemicals into the tablets to deceiveconsumers into believing that the fake drugs had an effect. Police also found bottles of normal saline solution labeled as a rabies vaccine. The ministry said it has destroyed a large number of production sites and trade channels in thepast two years. However, the crime is "far from being rooted out, as such criminals have come up with newmethods", the ministry said in its online statement. The ministry also said it had found sham promotions of fake products on the Internet, televisionand magazines during the crackdown. A ministry spokesperson warned that people should purchase medicines in hospitals andpharmacies who are trusted vendors of genuine products, and advised against buyingmedicines that do not have approved names and numbers distributed by the SFDA. "The ministry welcomes reports on the manufacture and sale of fake drugs," read the ministrystatement. "We will reward informers 500 to 50,000 yuan if the report is found to be true. Weoffer ample rewards to those who play an important role in cracking large gangs committingsuch crimes." Li Zhongdong, a pharmacist at the Air Force G

Police have arrested more than 1,900 people suspected of making and selling fake medicine in a series of raids on underground production bases, the Ministry of Public Security said on Sunday. The nationwide operation, which started on July 25 and involved 18,000 police officers in 31 provincial-level regions, has crushed 24 networks manufacturing counterfeit medical products worth 1.16 billion yuan ($182 million). Police seized 205 million tablets designed to look like brand-name products for treating hypertension, diabetes, skin diseases and cancer, the ministry said. Some medicines contained sibutramine, a chemical used to treat obesity that was banned by the State Food and Drug Administration in 2010 due to fears that it increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. The suspects also put sedative and hallucinogenic chemicals into the tablets to deceive consumers into believing that the fake drugs had an effect. Police also found bottles of normal saline solution labeled as a rabies vaccine. The ministry said it has destroyed a large number of production sites and trade channels in the past two years. However, the crime is "far from being rooted out, as such criminals have come up with new methods", the ministry said in its online statement. The ministry also said it had found sham promotions of fake products on the Internet, television and magazines during the crackdown. A ministry spokesperson warned that people should purchase medicines in hospitals and pharmacies who are trusted vendors of genuine products, and advised against buying medicines that do not have approved names and numbers distributed by the SFDA. "The ministry welcomes reports on the manufacture and sale of fake drugs," read the ministry statement. "We will reward informers 500 to 50,000 yuan if the report is found to be true. We offer ample rewards to those who play an important role in cracking large gangs committing such crimes." Li Zhongdong, a pharmacist at

Police have arrested more than 1,900 people suspected of making and selling fake medicine ina series of raids on underground production bases, the Ministry of Public Security said onSunday. The nationwide operation, which started on July 25 and involved 18,000 police officers in 31provincial-level regions, has crushed 24 networks manufacturing counterfeit medical productsworth 1.16 billion yuan ($182 million). Police seized 205 million tablets designed to look like brand-name products for treatinghypertension, diabetes, skin diseases and cancer, the ministry said. Some medicines contained sibutramine, a chemical used to treat obesity that was banned bythe State Food and Drug Administration in 2010 due to fears that it increases the risk ofcardiovascular problems. The suspects also put sedative and hallucinogenic chemicals into the tablets to deceiveconsumers into believing that the fake drugs had an effect. Police also found bottles of normal saline solution labeled as a rabies vaccine. The ministry said it has destroyed a large number of production sites and trade channels in thepast two years. However, the crime is "far from being rooted out, as such criminals have come up with newmethods", the ministry said in its online statement. The ministry also said it had found sham promotions of fake products on the Internet, televisionand magazines during the crackdown. A ministry spokesperson warned that people should purchase medicines in hospitals andpharmacies who are trusted vendors of genuine products, and advised against buyingmedicines that do not have approved names and numbers distributed by the SFDA. "The ministry welcomes reports on the manufacture and sale of fake drugs," read the ministrystatement. "We will reward informers 500 to 50,000 yuan if the report is found to be true. Weoffer ample rewards to those who play an important role in cracking large gangs committingsuch crimes." Li Zhongdong, a pharmacist at the Air Force General Hospital in Bei

While Republicans lambast the cost of implementing health care reform, a new report shows that their efforts to repeal the law have come at a major cost to taxpayers -- to the tune of nearly $50 million. The House of Representatives again voted to repeal President Obama's signature health care law on Wednesday, marking the 33rd time Republicans have attempted to take down the legislation. The 32 previous repeal efforts faltered at the hands of the Democrat-controlled Senate; the latest attempt is unlikely to break that pattern. see more http://springhillmedgroup.com/

Firms that are paid tens of millions of dollars to root out Medicare fraud are bidding on contracts to investigate companies they are doing business with _ sometimes their own parent companies, according to a government report released Tuesday. Two-thirds of the companies that bid on contracts during a nearly year-and-a-half time period beginning in October of 2010 had financial ties to claims processors _ and in some cases also processed Medicare claims themselves, according to the study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' inspector-general. The report blames what it calls a flawed bidding system and an inadequate conflict-of-interest policy. The study looked into bids from about 100 potential contractors and subcontractors and found nearly 2,000 relationships that posed potential conflicts. For example, one company submitted a bid to investigate Medicare fraud even though its parent company provided two types of Medicare coverage in all 50 states. Medicare fraud contractors are often tied to a large number of providers, but the report doesn't break the numbers down by each contractor. The federal government requires Medicare fraud contractors to identify their potential conflicts and their financial interests in other companies when submitting bids, but the report found they often failed to provide all the information. Even when they did, it was sometimes inconsistent or unclear, according to the study, which urged federal health officials to adopt formal, clear guidelines for companies to follow when submitting bids. Tuesday's report examined only companies bidding on springhill group Medicare-fraud contracts, not those with existing contracts. But a 2011 congressional survey of companies providing Medicare reimbursements revealed that some had financial relationships with the contractors investigating them. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency overseeing Medicare, said in a statement that it

Firms that are paid tens of millions of dollars to root out Medicare fraud are bidding on contracts to investigate companies they are doing business with _ sometimes their own parent companies, according to a government report released Tuesday. Two-thirds of the companies that bid on contracts during a nearly year-and-a-half time period beginning in October of 2010 had financial ties to claims processors _ and in some cases also processed Medicare claims themselves, according to the study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' inspector-general. The report blames what it calls a flawed bidding system and an inadequate conflict-of-interest policy. The study looked into bids from about 100 potential contractors and subcontractors and found nearly 2,000 relationships that posed potential conflicts. For example, one company submitted a bid to investigate Medicare fraud even though its parent company provided two types of Medicare coverage in all 50 states. Medicare fraud contractors are often tied to a large number of providers, but the report doesn't break the numbers down by each contractor. The federal government requires Medicare fraud contractors to identify their potential conflicts and their financial interests in other companies when submitting bids, but the report found they often failed to provide all the information. Even when they did, it was sometimes inconsistent or unclear, according to the study, which urged federal health officials to adopt formal, clear guidelines for companies to follow when submitting bids. Tuesday's report examined only companies bidding on springhill group Medicare-fraud contracts, not those with existing contracts. But a 2011 congressional survey of companies providing Medicare reimbursements revealed that some had financial relationships with the contractors investigating them. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency overseeing Medicare, said in a statement that it

Again we see a classic case of our troops dying in a war that serves no justification other than simply lining the pockets of the elite fraudsters some of whom are connected to very senior MP's and Lords in the UK! You will recall that Gordon Bowden and I have been pulling our hair out for a few years now trying to force some sort of action against the massive fraudster that operate in this country from corporate executives to bank CEO's to very senior MP's and the elite in the House of Lords. Ever asked yourself why the Serious Fraud Officer, Police or even "clean" (if we have any!) Members of Parliament never raise such issues during Prime Minister's Question Time? I keep asking myself why is it that no one speaks out and brings these "Political Crooks" to justice? Why don't the Unions and their members take to the streets and hold a peaceful protest outside the House of Parliament, 10 Downing Street or even at one of the many "Boiler Rooms" in the City of London? Why is everyone so afraid to reveal the very thing that has and continues to ruin the economy of the United Kingdom? We have our Prime Minister telling us all that severe austerity measures have to be implemented in order to pay off this huge toxic debt that has been handed down to us from the previous government under Gordon Brown. It's an absolute joke…. When are you, the British public, going to open your eyes and understand that you will always be screwed and always remain the underdogs as long as our leaders get away with it. We now see a US congressional probe into such fraud and yet two of the companies are British and operate out of one of those "Boiler Rooms" right here in the City of London at 788-790 Finchley Road, NW11 7TJ. How come we the British are not investigating the massive fraud being carried out by those two companies at the above address that were privileged to share in some of the $1.069 billion that has been handed out in US contracts?

NEW DELHI, June 14 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean embassy in New Delhi has been hit by a property rental scam, and is facing losses of 120 million won (US$102,739), embassy officials said Thursday. The Korean embassy signed a contract last December with an Indian owner of a four-story building in New Delhi to rent the building that would be used as the embassy's culture center. After paying the money by check, embassy officials found that the building was already rented out by another tenant. On paper, however, the building had no renter at the time the contract was signed, officials said. The embassy canceled the contract and requested the Indian owner to return the money, but the owner refused to do so. Embassy officials said they reported the case to local police last month. An embassy official accused the Indian owner of signing a bogus contract. "While trying to have the money returned, we are preparing to lease another building to open the culture center within this year," the official said on the condition of anonymity. In January 2010, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks in New Delhi and agreed to open the Korean culture center here.

NEW DELHI, June 14 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean embassy in New Delhi has been hit by a property rental scam, and is facing losses of 120 million won (US$102,739), embassy officials said Thursday. The Korean embassy signed a contract last December with an Indian owner of a four-story building in New Delhi to rent the building that would be used as the embassy's culture center. After paying the money by check, embassy officials found that the building was already rented out by another tenant. On paper, however, the building had no renter at the time the contract was signed, officials said. The embassy canceled the contract and requested the Indian owner to return the money, but the owner refused to do so. Embassy officials said they reported the case to local police last month. An embassy official accused the Indian owner of signing a bogus contract. "While trying to have the money returned, we are preparing to lease another building to open the culture center within this year," the official said on the condition of anonymity. In January 2010, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks in New Delhi and agreed to open the Korean culture center here.

NEW DELHI, June 14 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean embassy in New Delhi has been hit by a property rental scam, and is facing losses of 120 million won (US$102,739), embassy officials said Thursday. The Korean embassy signed a contract last December with an Indian owner of a four-story building in New Delhi to rent the building that would be used as the embassy's culture center. After paying the money by check, embassy officials found that the building was already rented out by another tenant. On paper, however, the building had no renter at the time the contract was signed, officials said. The embassy canceled the contract and requested the Indian owner to return the money, but the owner refused to do so. Embassy officials said they reported the case to local police last month. An embassy official accused the Indian owner of signing a bogus contract. "While trying to have the money returned, we are preparing to lease another building to open the culture center within this year," the official said on the condition of anonymity. In January 2010, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks in New Delhi and agreed to open the Korean culture center here. (END)

Over the years, Medicare has been proactive in its efforts to bring awareness to Medicare fraud, a national problem that costs the program millions of dollars each year. The Medicare program relies heavily on a number of sources to assist them in the detection and prevention of Medicare fraud including professionals of the healthcare industry. Overview of Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud the Medicare program for money. Anyone found guilty of Medicare fraud is subject to exclusion from participation in the Medicare program in addition to fines and possibly imprisonment. Most Medicare fraud occurs in these areas: * Billing for DME * Billing for physicians services * Billing for institutional services such as nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, etc. Be Aware of Common Schemes There are four popular Medicare fraud schemes. 1. Medical Equipment Never Provided The most common area of Medicare fraud is billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME refers to any medical equipment necessary for a patient's medical or physical condition. It includes wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other equipment of that nature. The provider will bill Medicare for equipment that the patient never received. Mobility scooters have been particularly popular for Medicare fraud schemes. 2. Services Never Performed In this instance, the provider bills for tests, treatment or procedures never performed. This can be added to the list of tests a patient has actually received and never be noticed. A provider may also falsify diagnosis codes in order to add on unnecessary tests or services. 3. Upcoding Charges Misrepresenting a level of service or procedure performed in order to charge more or receive a higher reimbursement rate is considered upcoding. Upcoding also occurs when a

Over the years, Medicare has been proactive in its efforts to bring awareness to Medicare fraud, a national problem that costs the program millions of dollars each year. The Medicare program relies heavily on a number of sources to assist them in the detection and prevention of Medicare fraud including professionals of the healthcare industry. Overview of Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud the Medicare program for money. Anyone found guilty of Medicare fraud is subject to exclusion from participation in the Medicare program in addition to fines and possibly imprisonment. Most Medicare fraud occurs in these areas: * Billing for DME * Billing for physicians services * Billing for institutional services such as nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, etc. Be Aware of Common Schemes There are four popular Medicare fraud schemes. 1. Medical Equipment Never Provided The most common area of Medicare fraud is billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME refers to any medical equipment necessary for a patient's medical or physical condition. It includes wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other equipment of that nature. The provider will bill Medicare for equipment that the patient never received. Mobility scooters have been particularly popular for Medicare fraud schemes. 2. Services Never Performed In this instance, the provider bills for tests, treatment or procedures never performed. This can be added to the list of tests a patient has actually received and never be noticed. A provider may also falsify diagnosis codes in order to add on unnecessary tests or services. 3. Upcoding Charges Misrepresenting a level of service or procedure performed in order to charge more or receive a higher reimbursement rate is considered upcoding. Upcoding also occurs when a

SPRINGHILL GROUP FLORIDA GROUPDOC-- A certain "Sehwan Jung" in South Korea hasbeen sending a number of desperate requests Group of Springhill South Korea - "Nowfor funds over Twitter: "I am in urgent need of this one is a real winner," says Dan Ring, amoney. Can you lend me 500,000 dollars?I will spokesperson for Boston-based datamake it up to you later." A diabolical plot, protection company Sophos. "Sehwanindeed, though Mr. Jung's scam is unlikely to Jung's list of celebrities is almost aswork. For one, people can see everything entertaining and as random as his actualsomeone sends on Twitter and quickly realize request, and it's one of the morehe's sent the exact same message over andover. For another, he is tweeting almost optimistic requests out there. I hopeexclusively to celebrities, including Channing there's no way someone will fall for this."Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Carly Simon,journalist Nicholas Kristof (who todaysarcastically answered, "Sure!"), and the foreignminister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid bin AhmedAl Khalifa. 3. The "Sehwan gambit" joins the * This scammer doesn't even attempt tofollowing examples as one of the laziest establish a personal connection beforescams in Internet history. offering $18 million: Beloved,* "JOHN" fails to mention what he I am Elizabeth Etters, a Christian.Ieven wants to con you out of: picked your email randomly for anSubject: what are you sale inheritance of $18M. Please contact meGreetings,My name is JOHN, i am for more details via [redacted].highly interested in buying your{ what you want to sale } from you ,I will like * One malware attack came in the formyou to give me the FINAL ASKING of a bogus Christmas card-sent onprice and the lastes condition,also i will March 19:like you to scan the pics for me for Date: 2010-03-19 09:27:15proper verifycation. "You have just received a Christmas greeting card! To see your custom card and who sent it, please check the attachment.

SPRINGHILL GROUP FLORIDA GROUPDOC-- A certain "Sehwan Jung" in South Korea hasbeen sending a number of desperate requests Group of Springhill South Korea - "Nowfor funds over Twitter: "I am in urgent need of this one is a real winner," says Dan Ring, amoney. Can you lend me 500,000 dollars?I will spokesperson for Boston-based datamake it up to you later." A diabolical plot, protection company Sophos. "Sehwanindeed, though Mr. Jung's scam is unlikely to Jung's list of celebrities is almost aswork. For one, people can see everything entertaining and as random as his actualsomeone sends on Twitter and quickly realize request, and it's one of the morehe's sent the exact same message over andover. For another, he is tweeting almost optimistic requests out there. I hopeexclusively to celebrities, including Channing there's no way someone will fall for this."Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Carly Simon,journalist Nicholas Kristof (who todaysarcastically answered, "Sure!"), and the foreignminister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid bin AhmedAl Khalifa. 3. The "Sehwan gambit" joins the * This scammer doesn't even attempt tofollowing examples as one of the laziest establish a personal connection beforescams in Internet history. offering $18 million: Beloved,* "JOHN" fails to mention what he I am Elizabeth Etters, a Christian.Ieven wants to con you out of: picked your email randomly for anSubject: what are you sale inheritance of $18M. Please contact meGreetings,My name is JOHN, i am for more details via [redacted].highly interested in buying your{ what you want to sale } from you ,I will like * One malware attack came in the formyou to give me the FINAL ASKING of a bogus Christmas card-sent onprice and the lastes condition,also i will March 19:like you to scan the pics for me for Date: 2010-03-19 09:27:15proper verifycation. "You have just received a Christmas greeting card! To see your custom card and who sent it, please check the attachment.

South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims. Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010. While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said. Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North. Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims. More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

Over the years, Medicare has been proactive in its efforts to bring awareness to Medicare fraud, a national problem that costs the program millions of dollars each year. The Medicare program relies heavily on a number of sources to assist them in the detection and prevention of Medicare fraud including professionals of the healthcare industry. Overview of Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud the Medicare program for money. Anyone found guilty of Medicare fraud is subject to exclusion from participation in the Medicare program in addition to fines and possibly imprisonment. Most Medicare fraud occurs in these areas: Billing for DME Billing for physicians services Billing for institutional services such as nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, etc. Be Aware of Common Schemes There are four popular Medicare fraud schemes. 1. Medical Equipment Never Provided The most common area of Medicare fraud is billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME refers to any medical equipment necessary for a patient's medical or physical condition. It includes wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other equipment of that nature. The provider will bill Medicare for equipment that the patient never received. Mobility scooters have been particularly popular for Medicare fraud schemes.

EOUL - South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims. Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010. While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said. Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North. Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims. More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. TShey get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

Over the years, Medicare has been proactive in its efforts to bring awareness to Medicare fraud, a national problem that costs the program millions of dollars each year. The Medicare program relies heavily on a number of sources to assist them in the detection and prevention of Medicare fraud including professionals of the healthcare industry. Overview of Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud the Medicare program for money. Anyone found guilty of Medicare fraud is subject to exclusion from participation in the Medicare program in addition to fines and possibly imprisonment. Most Medicare fraud occurs in these areas: Billing for DME Billing for physicians services Billing for institutional services such as nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, etc. Be Aware of Common Schemes There are four popular Medicare fraud schemes. 1. Medical Equipment Never Provided The most common area of Medicare fraud is billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME refers to any medical equipment necessary for a patient's medical or physical condition. It includes wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other equipment of that nature. The provider will bill Medicare for equipment that the patient never received. Mobility scooters have been particularly popular for Medicare fraud schemes.

Over the years, Medicare has been proactive in its efforts to bring awareness to Medicare fraud, a national problem that costs the program millions of dollars each year. The Medicare program relies heavily on a number of sources to assist them in the detection and prevention of Medicare fraud including professionals of the healthcare industry. Overview of Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud the Medicare program for money. Anyone found guilty of Medicare fraud is subject to exclusion from participation in the Medicare program in addition to fines and possibly imprisonment. Most Medicare fraud occurs in these areas

Over the years, Medicare has been proactive in its efforts to bring awareness to Medicare fraud, a national problem that costs the program millions of dollars each year. The Medicare program relies heavily on a number of sources to assist them in the detection and prevention of Medicare fraud including professionals of the healthcare industry. Overview of Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud the Medicare program for money. Anyone found guilty of Medicare fraud is subject to exclusion from participation in the Medicare program in addition to fines and possibly imprisonment. Most Medicare fraud occurs in these areas: Billing for DME Billing for physicians services Billing for institutional services such as nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, etc. Be Aware of Common Schemes There are four popular Medicare fraud schemes. 1. Medical Equipment Never Provided The most common area of Medicare fraud is billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME refers to any medical equipment necessary for a patient's medical or physical condition. It includes wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other equipment of that nature. The provider will bill Medicare for equipment that the patient never received. Mobility scooters have been particularly popular for Medicare fraud schemes. 2. Services Never Performed In this instance, the provider bills for tests, treatment or procedures never performed. This can be added to the list of tests a patient has actually received and never be noticed. A provider may also falsify diagnosis codes in order to add on unnecessary tests or services.

SEOUL - South Korean police said Tuesday they were investigating 27 North Korean refugees for swindling private insurance firms out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus medical claims. Police said the refugees faked illness in collusion with hospitals to claim a total of 1.04 billion won ($909,000) from insurance firms between 2007 and 2010. While listed as hospitalised, they frequented saunas, restaurants and even nightclubs. The scam also involved a 71-year-old doctor and five hospital employees who conspired with the refugees to claim a separate 104 million won from the state health insurance agency, police said. Police are also investigating two brokers on suspicion of helping the refugees send some of the proceeds to relatives in the North. Fraudsters involved in medical insurance rackets have previously made use of North Koreans. In 2008, police charged 41 refugees involved in bogus medical claims. More than 23,500 North Koreans have settled in the South since the 1950-53 war. They get government financial help along with job education but many fail to adapt to their new environment.

Firms that are paid tens of millions of dollars to root out Medicare fraud are bidding on contracts to investigate companies they are doing business with _ sometimes their own parent companies, according to a government report released Tuesday. Two-thirds of the companies that bid on contracts during a nearly year-and-a-half time period beginning in October of 2010 had financial ties to claims processors _ and in some cases also processed Medicare claims themselves, according to the study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' inspector-general. The report blames what it calls a flawed bidding system and an inadequate conflict-of-interest policy. The study looked into bids from about 100 potential contractors and subcontractors and found nearly 2,000 relationships that posed potential conflicts. For example, one company submitted a bid to investigate Medicare fraud even though its parent company provided two types of Medicare coverage in all 50 states. Medicare fraud contractors are often tied to a large number of providers, but the report doesn't break the numbers down by each contractor. The federal government requires Medicare fraud contractors to identify their potential conflicts and their financial interests in other companies when submitting bids, but the report found they often failed to provide all the information. Even when they did, it was sometimes inconsistent or unclear, according to the study, which urged federal health officials to adopt formal, clear guidelines for companies to follow when submitting bids. Tuesday's report examined only companies bidding on springhill groupMedicare-fraud contracts, not those with existing contracts. But a 2011 congressional survey of companies providing Medicare reimbursements revealed that some had financial relationships with the contractors investigating them. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency overseeing Medicare, said in a statement that it has a robust