A Covid Test Medicare Scam May Be a Trial Run for Further Fraud
By Susan Jaffe
Before the covid-19 public health emergency ended, Medicare advocates around the country noticed a rise in complaints from beneficiaries who received at-home covid tests they never requested. Bad actors may have used seniors’ Medicare information to improperly bill the federal government — and could do it again, say federal investigators.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Madera County Steps In To Save Hospital’s License: Madera County supervisors unanimously approved setting aside $100,000 in federal covid recovery funds to help pay license renewal costs for Madera Community Hospital. Tuesday’s vote came with little fanfare but has potentially significant consequences for the 106-bed hospital, which closed in January. Read more from the Fresno Bee.
Lawyer Fees Draw Scrutiny as Camp Lejeune Claims Stack Up
By Michelle Andrews
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which became law last year, created a pathway for veterans and their families to pursue damage claims against the government for toxic exposure at the military base. Now, advocates and lawmakers worry high lawyer fees could shortchange those injured.
An AI Chatbot May Be Your Next Therapist. Will It Actually Help Your Mental Health?
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
Given a dire shortage of human behavioral health providers in the U.S., it may prove tempting for insurers to offer up apps and chatbots to meet the federal mental health parity requirement. But artificial intelligence, by definition fake, can’t master the empathic flow between patient and doctor that’s central to therapy.
Study Reveals Staggering Toll of Being Black in America: 1.6M Excess Deaths Over 22 Years
By Liz Szabo
The profound and painful loss — 80 million years of life, compared with the white population — is a call to action to improve the health of Black Americans, especially infants, mothers, and seniors, researchers say.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Court Reinstates Covid Fight Over Religious Rights: San Francisco employees who believe they would be endorsing abortion by getting vaccinated against covid-19 can sue the city for violating their religious rights by mandating vaccination for all its workers, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. Keep scrolling for more covid news.
A Rural County’s Choice: Use Opioid Funds to Pay Off Debt, or Pay Them Forward to Curb Crisis
By Aneri Pattani
Greene County, Tennessee, so far has received more than $2.7 million from regional and national settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. But most of the money is not going to help people and families harmed by addiction.
State Lawmakers Eye Forced Treatment to Address Overlap in Homelessness and Mental Illness
By April Dembosky, KQED and Amelia Templeton, Oregon Public Broadcasting and Carrie Feibel
Democratic politicians in California and Oregon are reconsidering the restrictions of involuntary commitment laws. They argue that not helping people who are seriously ill and living in squalor on the streets is inhumane.
Daily Edition for Monday, May 15, 2023
State Health Regulators Bar Hospital From Treating Sickest Kids: California health regulators have barred John Muir Medical Center from treating some of the state’s most seriously ill children after flagging dozens of wide-ranging and serious issues in the Walnut Creek hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
As More Hospitals Create Police Forces, Critics Warn of Pitfalls
By Renuka Rayasam
Nearly 30 states have active or proposed laws authorizing independent hospital police forces. Groups representing nurses and hospitals say the laws address the daily realities of patients who become aggressive or agitated. But critics worry about unintended consequences.
