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DOJ Charges 243 Medical Personnel with $712 Million in Medicare Fraud

The federal government has charged 243 people in what may be the largest case medical billing fraud in U.S. history, officials announced on June 18.

The 243 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals charged had participated in “Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $712 million in false billings,” according to Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

A nationwide investigation by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services’ Medicare Fraud Strike Force in 17 districts revealed the fraudulent billing, which is the largest the task force has seen in terms of number of people charged and the amount lost.

“This action represents the largest criminal health care fraud takedown in the history of the Department of Justice and it adds to an already remarkable record of enforcement,” Lynch told reporters in a statement.

Several healthcare providers were also suspended by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after the sweep. Although some healthcare providers outsource billing, which can speed up accounts receivable by one to three days, it was the doctors and other medical personnel who were held accountable.

Of the arrests made, 73 were from South Florida, including the Miami area. In total, the tried to take more than $262,567,878 from Medicare and Medicaid funds.

Lynch said that the defendants include “doctors, patient recruiters, home healthcare providers, pharmacy owners and others.”

Many of the healthcare providers took advantage of Medicare Part D. The program is supposed to allow the elderly and disabled to get prescription drugs through pharmacies who are later reimbursed by private insurers through Medicare.

But several pharmacies were caught submitting false prescriptions, which potentially costs the United States billions of dollars each year.

Since the strike force was initiated, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have charged more than 2,300 defendants guilty of billing Medicare in excess of $7 billion.

The Justice Department has also relied on the federal False Claims Act in order to recoup more than $15.2 billion in Medicare losses since 2009.

The States Where Drunk Drivers Get Away With It

Drunk driving is a major problem in the United States, causing almost a third of all auto-related fatalities and costing around $60 billion per year in economic losses. Around 1.4 million drunk driving arrests are made every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Now, WalletHub has ranked the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their efforts to crack down on drunk driving.

Arizona was found to be the strictest state when it came to both criminal penalties and prevention efforts for drunk drivers, followed by Alaska, Connecticut, West Virginia and Kansas.

South Dakota came 51st, with Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Maryland being nearly as lenient.

WalletHub used a points system for ranking the states, assigning more points for stricter policies in 15 categories such as minimum jail sentences, minimum fines, felony charges, penalties for exceptionally high blood alcohol concentration, mandated ignition interlock device installation, and insurance increases. These added up to a potential 55 points.

Points were awarded based on policies only, not outcomes or drunk driving statistics.

Arizona earned 43.75 points, making it far and away the strictest state; Alaska, the runner-up, earned 33.75 points. South Dakota earned only 7.25 points.

Leniency, or Progressive Treatment?
Officials in South Dakota, however, have responded to the study saying it wrongly equates more progressive policies with leniency.

Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader that the state has been very successful with alternative programs that try to keep people both sober and out of jail.

He further explained that the state has tried to place more emphasis on actually addressing the root cause of drunk driving and changing that behavior, citing the 24/7 sobriety program and SCRAM transdermal alcohol monitoring bracelets as examples.

“Multiple offense DWI [drivers guilty of driving while intoxicated] may end up in prison, but there are a significant number of programs in place to reduce the chances of the person reoffending as opposed to throwing them in jail and throwing away the keys,” he said.

Osage to Repair Its Sewer System Using Trenchless Pipe Replacement

Last month, city officials in Osage, Iowa approved of a plan to repair thousands of feet of sewer lines over a series of stages.

The Globe Gazelle reports that the city will be going forward with a plan to repair the pipes, after months of investigation into the sewer system. Starting in 2016, the city will replace the existing pipes in consecutive phases. Each phase is expected to cost approximately $1.2 million.

The pipes in Osage were installed nearly a century ago, according to the city’s public works director, Jerry Dunlay. He also said the pipes were inspected last year by inserting cameras into them. The inspection crews found most of the pipes were deteriorating — mostly due to tree root and groundwater infusion — and are in need of replacement.

City crews plan on using trenchless drain repair method for replacement. The trenchless method involves inserting resin-based tubes into the existing pipes and expanding them once they are fully inserted. The cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) effectively replaces the pipe without actually removing it. This method is popular for its relative quickness, its minimal invasiveness, and its ability to be performed without major disruption of services.

To help pay for the projects, the city will seek $600,000 in block grants for each phase. The remaining costs will be paid using sewer fund reserves and bonds. City officials have not said whether they will raise taxes to help pay for the repair work.

In all, the phases will require laying about 60,000 lineal feet of piping. The work itself will be done in manholes at road intersections. Each phase will consist of a major restoration project as well as several “spot” repairs along the way. Although the main phases will commence next year, about six spot repairs will be done this summer due to urgency, according to Dunlay.

Trenchless drain repair is a relatively recent innovation, having been available for residential homes for only 10 to 15 years.

This Data Center Helps Sustain a Fish Farm — And You Won’t Believe How

Data centers are what make the world go round. These facilities, containing endless rows of server racks, store a gargantuan chunk of the world’s data and information; it’s not surprising that the computer server manufacturing industry alone brings in a cool $14 billion in annual revenues.

At the same time, data centers are major energy consumers, with some large-scale centers using as much energy at peak usage as a small town. With all this energy comes untold amounts of waste heat, a massive resource that has largely gone untapped so far.

This is slowly changing, however. Recently, a Dutch company used waste heat from its data centers to heat residential homes. And now, the Cleveland, OH-based Foundry Project plans to build an underground data center whose heat will help warm a fish farm.

According to a June 11 ZDNet article, the waste heat generated by the Foundry Project’s 20,000-square-foot data center will maintain a temperature of 73.6 degrees Fahrenheit in its aquaculture facility designed to farm Mediterranean sea bass.

When completed, the fully sustainable Northcoast Fish Farm will produce 500,000 pounds of Mediterranean sea bass each year — about 5% of current U.S. imports of the fish. Foundry Project founders expect the data center and fish farm will be in full operation by mid-2016.

But when companies have seemingly endless options when it comes to choosing a data center, why choose the Foundry Project’s? For one, the site of the data center is located at the meeting point of three different 100 Gigabit fiber networks, giving it easy access to high-performance networks.

Both the fish farm and data center play an integral role in the Foundry Project’s overall mission, which is to create a complete, sustainable ecosystem within an urban setting. All fish waste from the Northcoast Fish Farm will be used to fertilize plants and crops at Northcoast Orchards, for example. The project also plans to construct a sheep farm, farmer’s market, live fish brokerage and an arts and tech incubator, ZDNet reports.

Could Your Hardwood Floors Be Slowly Killing You?

Hardwood floors are one of the most coveted luxuries one can have in his or her home. No other flooring surface is quite as elegant, versatile and reliable as a hardwood floor can be. It’s no surprise that more than half — about 54% — of home buyers say they’re willing to spend a little more to get a hardwood floor in their home.

But what if your brand new hardwood floor is secretly making you sick?

Sadly, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Some hardwood floors are produced with high levels of formaldehyde, which can be released into the air over time. Inhaling this toxin has been linked with health conditions like nose and throat cancer, difficulty breathing, coughing, sore throat and impaired respiratory function.

For one Colorado Springs, CO, couple, this nightmare became reality when their $6,000 hardwood floor gave them both respiratory illnesses, forcing them to rip out their beloved floor.

According to a June 10 KOAA article, Susan Bolduc and her husband are now involved in a class action lawsuit against Lumber Liquidators, the company that sold the Bolducs their formaldehyde-soaked floor. Lumber Liquidators is accused of selling hardwood floors manufactured in China that contained levels of formaldehyde that exceeded the EPA’s recommended level of .10 parts per million.

In fact, when Bolduc hired an independent inspection company to inspect her hardwood floors, the inspector found formaldehyde levels three to five times what the EPA recommends, even though Lumber Liquidators assured the couple that their floors were safe.

“I believe there are hundreds or thousands of people receiving letters from Lumber Liquidators saying their flooring is safe and if that’s not accurate people need to know,” she said.

To avoid unknowingly installing a formaldehyde-filled hardwood floor, Bill Magavern, policy director at the Coalition for Clean Air, recommends that homeowners steer clear of composite wood products like medium-density fiberboard, particle fiberboard and hardwood plywood. Because China seems to be the only source of this illegal flooring, it’s best to avoid floors made in this country, as well.

Homeowners Ready to Give Pools Green Make Over This Summer

The summer months are all about having fun in the sun — and of course, in the water. After all, there’s no better way to beat the heat of the long dog days of summer than to splash around in your backyard pool.

However, every homeowner who owns a pool knows the maintenance, time, and energy required in order to keep it running in tip-top shape. It’s no secret that swimming pools require a lot of water — obviously — and energy, both of which can be taxing to the environment.

While most homeowners dread their pool water turning green, Carvin DiGiovanni, vice president of technical and standards at the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals, said today’s eco-conscious pool owners want green, energy efficient solutions.

“Nearly two-thirds of businesses say customers demand they offer more environmentally considerate solutions,” DiGiovanni wrote in an email. “Eighty-eight percent of consumers feel a responsibility to purchase environmentally responsible products.”

According to DiGiovanni, the primary concerns for most residential swimming pool owners is water and energy usage, as well as natural alternatives to chlorine. While energy efficient pool pumps have become the norm, written standards and codes are slowly being folded into law to ensure future pools, spas, and hot tubs are being built and designed with sustainability in mind.

While growing consumer concern regarding standard chemical treatments used to sanitize pool water have been mounting for some time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) holds strict standards regarding their usage.

“All chemicals used in pools must be EPA Registered Sanitizers, ensuring that no harm comes to the environment,” DiGiovanni explained. “There are strict state and local health codes that must be adhered to.”

In fact, pool chemical manufacturers recommend adjusting the pH level to 7.2-7.8 to prevent stains, scaling and algae growth. It’s also recommended to shock the pool per the label’s directions.

Despite these rigid guidelines, many homeowners are still leaning towards more natural approaches. In fact, an entire niche market of natural pools, which incorporate plants in a agriculture ecosystem used to keep the water clean, is steadily expanding.

Similarly, eco-friendly salt generator sanitizing systems lessen the environmental impact of harsh chemical cleaners by converting regular table salt into a mild form of chlorine which is then used to clean the pool without the sting or stench associated with commercial chlorine.

After 50 Long, High-Heeled Years, Barbie Finally Gets to Wear Flats

It might have taken half a century, but Barbie can finally give her feet a break.

According to a June 4 Mashable article, the iconic doll will finally have flat feet and adjustable ankles as part of Mattel’s new “Barbie Fashionistas” line of dolls. That means Barbie can now wear flats, sandals and even sneakers for the first time in her 56 years.

Mattel says the Fashionistas line is meant to reflect “the world girls see around them.” Not only do the Barbie Fashionistas dolls have flat feet to reflect more modern-day tastes; this collection of dolls is also decidedly more diverse than Barbie is known for being. Barbie Fashionistas will come in “eight different skin tones, 14 different facial sculpts, 18 eye colors, 22 hair styles, and 23 hair colors,” Cosmopolitan reports.

The choice to make Barbie a bit more modern might be a response to the doll’s waning popularity in recent years, with growing competition from other kid’s toys — especially dolls named Anna and Elsa — taking an increasing chunk out of sales.

But it’s still amazing that it’s taken so long for Barbie to venture into different styles of footwear. Yoga Teacher Barbie, Surgeon Barbie and Firefighter Barbie all walked on their tip-toes. When the feet contain about 25% of the bones in our bodies, it’s hard to fathom how badly Barbie’s feet must have hurt after wearing high heels for so long.

This is especially true when recent scientific studies — and even the fashion industry itself — have acknowledged that high heels cause pain and limit physical activity when worn more than three times per week. Not only is it unrealistic to convey to young girls that successful women always wear high heels, it also might be unhealthy.

So go, Barbie. Fake walk and fake run anywhere your newly-flat feet will take you. Just be sure to keep your Instagram updated with tastefully-filtered photos of all the new shoes you’ll be buying.

Oakland Pipe Repair Company Offers Discount to Veterans

Starting on Memorial Day, Evenflow Plumbing in Oakland, California, began offering military veterans a 10% discount on conventional and trenchless sewer pipe repair work.

Virtual Strategy Magazine reports that the 10% discount is good through June 30th. The reason for the discount is personal for Gary Dimodana, the owner of Evenflow Plumbing, who is a veteran himself.

“I served six years in the Navy where I learned my trade as a plumber and I come from a family of World War II heroes,” Dimodana said. He went on to explain how both his grandfathers served in the war in the Pacific Theater.

“My grandfather, Robert Bruce Wallace, was a captain in the Army Air Core. He flew A-20 and B-17s in the Pacific. He had 46 successful bombing missions,” he said. “My other grandfather served in the Marine Corps and was one of Carlson’s Marine Raiders in the Philippine Islands. [They] both served with distinction from 1942 to 1945.”

Dimodana’s company serves the entire East Bay of California and is known in pioneering the trenchless pipe repair method, which uses pre-existing pipes to guide the new pipes in rather than removing them entirely. The company provides a free consultation for residential customers as well as for people trying to earn a Private Sewer Lateral (PSL) Certificate, which is mandated by Oakland.

The PSL Ordinance, regulated by the East Bay MUD, requires all residential properties sold within the Oakland district to have their sewer laterals and pipes tested in order to gain the PSL Certificate. The ordinance is part of an effort to reduce the amount of clean water that enters the sewers, water which comes from cracked or broken sewer lines on private residential property.

Evenflow Plumbing also offers a free camera drain inspection service to help homeowners determine if old sewer lines need to be replaced in order to qualify for the PSL Certificate.

A relatively new method, trenchless pipe repair has been on the residential market for 10-15 years. It is popular with homeowners due to its gentle handling of properties. Conventional pipe repair methods often require digging large trenches in a property’s lawn in order to get to the pipes.

When the Flood Waters Rise, Cars Often Hit the Hardest By Water Damage

Over Memorial Day weekend, people living throughout northern Texas and Oklahoma faced some of the most severe, record-breaking flooding they had ever seen.

In Houston alone, more than 4,000 homes faced significant damage due to the floods — but it’s not just homes that were damaged by rising waters. According to findings from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, as many as 10,000 cars have been damaged or totaled due to these floods.

And there’s nothing stopping those who own one of these cars to sell them to someone else while neglecting to mention the vehicle’s water damage. As a result, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper issued a warning advising consumers hoping to buy a new or used car to be on the lookout for water-damaged cars.

“Our hearts go out to flood victims as they work to clean up and rebuild,” Cooper said in a statement. “Even though the floods didn’t hit North Carolina, consumers here need to watch out for dishonest dealers who may try to trick them into buying flooded cars.”

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) estimates that flooding causes more than $3 billion in damage each year, making it the No. 1 natural disaster affecting the U.S. To prevent such losses, many car sellers with questionable moral compasses will put flooded vehicles through a rigorous cleaning process, making it tough to detect water damage until weeks later. However, it’s illegal in many states to sell a car without disclosing the fact that it has water damage.

“Thousands of cars have been flooded in Texas and Oklahoma, and it won’t be long before they pop up for sale across the country,” said Cooper. “Be on guard so you don’t get stuck with a flooded car.”

Vehicular water damage goes beyond having wet carpets. Because cars aren’t designed to be submerged underwater, flood waters can rust out its internal parts, including the car’s transmission.

To avoid buying a water-damaged vehicle, Cooper advised car buyers to always check the car’s title and to have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic you trust before making the purchase. Ultimately, if you come across a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Elderly Woman Crashes Through Fence, Lands in Swimming Pool

There’s a reason why 80-90% of the fence applications seen by U.S. zoning committees are for privacy fences. Some neighborhoods are just a little too much to handle. Zany neighbors, though, can’t always be stopped by fences, as one homeowner in Grand Rapids, Michigan recently discovered.

At the end of May, an elderly woman crashed her car through a fence separating a CVS Pharmacy and a home’s backyard. The woman was in CVS’s drive-thru when she put her car in reverse, hit the gas, and sped through the fence and into the homeowner’s pool.

Fortunately, the pool had no water in it at the time, and the elderly woman did not appear to be seriously hurt. According to Grand Rapids Police Officer Scott Klawon, the woman was sent to an area hospital with “not obvious” injuries.

Police at the scene requested a crane to get the elderly woman’s car out of the empty pool.

This sort of situation is not all that uncommon. At the beginning of June, a teenage, California-driver fell asleep at the wheel after studying for hours, sending his pickup truck careening through a fence, and crashing alongside a swimming pool. The teenager miraculously evaded death, as one of the fence’s two-by-fours speared the windshield, continued on through the steering wheel, and somehow missed impaling the driver.

“I guess in the rolling motion when the young man rolled off the roadway, it must have tossed him to the side and that board just missed his torso,” said Monica Zech of the City of El Cajon Heartland Fire and Rescue.

Although these incident were unfortunate, things could have been much worse. Jeremy McCracken, a 22-year-old, New Zealand man, died after his car crashed through a fence and down a bank, stopping just meters away from a home. Police did not suspect drugs or alcohol were a contributing factor in the crash.

“I guess anything is possible at the end of the day,” said Jefrey Banks, the son of Grand Rapids-homeowner whose fence bordered the CVS. “You don’t expect anything like this.”