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Medicare Fraud and Abuse The Most Profitable Healthcare Crime in the U.S.

Medicare fraud and abuse cost taxpayers approximately $60 billion a year. Its one of the fastest and most profitable crimes in the U.S. The government health insurance program that covers 46 million elderly and disabled Americans is being hijacked by opportunists preying on patients, doctors, suppliers, and lack of oversight of the system itself.

According to President Obama, Medicare fraud and abuse is fueling enormous federal budget deficits. He recently explained that we could pay for healthcare reform if we could eliminate Medicare fraud, abuse, and waste altogether.

Although completely eliminating Medicare fraud isnt entirely realistic, curbing the growing crimes could provide healthcare to many more Americans and stop lining the pockets of the individuals, crime rings, and corrupt healthcare providers that steal a huge amount of the half trillion dollars in Medicare benefits each year.

The instances of Medicare fraud and abuse are as diverse as they are widespread. One recent high-profile case involved an Armenian-American crime syndicate that stole patient and doctor identities to setup dozens of fake clinics. The operation, which is one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in U.S. history, resulted in over $35 million in illegal billings.

In another Medicare fraud and abuse case, nine hospitals in seven states were ordered to pay $9.4 million in fines for keeping patients overnight after undergoing what is typically an outpatient back procedure. The hospitals fraudulently billed Medicare for the unnecessary services. In still another case, eight nurses in Florida carried out an $18.7 million Medicare fraud scam in which they forged patient files to make it appear that they required home health care services that they didnt need or receive.

Although these are just a few of the many types of Medicare fraud and abuse scams occurring each year, they show the urgent need to be vigilant about preventing Medicare scams. From charging for durable medical equipment (DME) never received to using a deceased doctors information to continue to bill patients, common Medicare fraud and abuse schemes include:

* Advertising “free” consultations to patients with Medicare, and then recording and using their private information for monetary gain

* Offering healthcare services or DME for free in return for a persons Medicare number for “record keeping”

* Setting up fictitious clinics with people impersonating doctors to steal private information and commit medical identity theft is another common Medicare fraud and abuse tactic

* Using real patients data, but without their knowledge, to steal their identities

* Not adhering to the FTC Red Flag Rules that alert the carriers paying the bills

* Fraudulent billing for a wheelchair, specialized hospital bed, or other DME is also a form of Medicare fraud and abuse

* Falsifying claims for expensive procedures is another common tactic, such as the $5.8 million fraudulent HIV infusion scheme in Miami in which a husband and wife team defrauded Medicare by submitting unnecessary HIV injection and infusion claims

Remember that when fraud happens to Medicare, it happens to all of us. Dont let your organization become a victim. Put your employees on the front line to spot Medicare fraud by hiring a healthcare fraud and abuse expert that provides “Lunch and Learn” presentations to help avoid, recognize, and respond to Medicare fraud. Visit www.TheIdentityAdvocate.com. or call 310.831.4400 to learn how to prevent Medicare fraud and medical identity theft.

Plant Medicine For Molluscum Is Safer Than Chemical Drugs

Molluscum contagiosum is a very common skin infection that causes small pearly or flesh-colored bumps. The bumps may be clear, and the center often is indented. The bumps may be either clear or red and inflamed. They are often seen in groups in one or two areas. Bumps may develop along with eczema, and you may not notice the bumps as much as the eczema.
Most of the bumps are often found on the trunk, face, eyelids, or genital area in temperate climates and on extremities in the tropics. In children, bumps usually appear on the trunk, face, and arms. In sexually active teens and young adults, the bumps are often located in the genital area. The infection is caused by a virus. The virus is easily spread but is not harmful.
Molluscum contagiosum in people who have an impaired immune system, such as HIV infection, can be more serious. These bumps are hard to treat, and can mimic other serious diseases of people with HIV infection. Conditions that may appear similar to molluscum contagiosum include warts, chickenpox, genital warts, basal cell skin cancer, and lichen planus.
Molluscum contagiosum is usually diagnosed during a physical exam. If you have bumps in genital area, your doctor may check for other sexually transmitted diseases, such as genital herpes. Some doctors may consider testing for human immunodeficiency virus if you are at risk for the condition and you have bumps on your face or other symptoms of a severe case of molluscum contagiosum. A biopsy may be done if the diagnosis is unclear and other conditions are suspected.
Treatment for molluscum contagiosum is not always needed because most bumps will go away within two to four months, although they may last longer. But if bumps are visible or embarrassing, or in order to prevent their spread, you may want them removed. Removal or other treatment is recommended for bumps in the genital area.
You apply the nonprescription medicine salicylic acid directly to the bumps. It is usually not painful and is often regarded as the first treatment to try. Immunotherapy triggers your immune system to fight the virus causing the skin growth. Small studies have shown that it is successful about eighty percent of the time.
Manual extrusion means that viral material is removed by squeezing bumps with fingers or forceps. This is done by a doctor to avoid scarring and to keep infection from spreading. Curettage means that the viral material in the center of the bump is scraped out. A local or topical anesthetic can be used to numb the area. This procedure may cause scarring.
Your doctor may apply a chemical to the bumps. This destroys the top layers of the skin, allowing a new layer to form. When the chemical is applied, you may feel a burning sensation. Side effect may include mild scarring. How often and how long the chemical is applied will vary. Chemicals used include trichloroacetic acid, podophyllin resin, potassium hydroxide, and cantharidin.
Cryotherapy means that the bump is frozen with liquid nitrogen. A local anesthetic may be used to numb the area. The liquid nitrogen is sprayed or applied with a cotton-tip applicator for five or more seconds. This procedure usually is not too painful, is not as likely as curettage to cause scarring, and usually is effective. Often, more than one treatment is needed.
Treatment varies depending on your age and health and the location of bumps. Although synthetic chemical drugs are effective, they have much side effects with high price. Some ailments could not be treated by synthetic drugs. Plant medicine comes from natural and is safer than synthetic drugs when treating molluscum contagiosum. The efficacy of plant medicine for molluscum is conclusive with scientific pharmacology to illustrate, which enhances the confidence of patients.
Plant medicine has excellent antiviral activity against hulled viruses as it causes their cellular death upon exposure. The antiviral properties of this natural treatment for molluscum have a tremendous therapeutic impact to eradicate viral pathogens, especially those infecting the skin. Plant medicine is a powerful antiviral agent which inhibits the signal transduction pathways of the molluscum viral proteins. As a result, it provides a profound healing effect against the molluscum contagiosum virus. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.

Genital Warts Medicine

Many people today than ever are getting contaminated with all sought of venereal or sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV infection.

As a result, many campaigns of health matters have put more emphasis on the above illness than any other one. For instance, genital warts information and awareness effort are nothing in comparison to AIDS.

Nevertheless, the good news is that when present, the HPV virus can be controlled through genital wart medication that clears the signs.

May be I should say that in my opinion, this disorder can be prevented best by not having intercourse at all.

This is because the irresponsible intercourse with infected persons will absolutely result to genital infections such as this one. When one contracts this condition, he might show up initial signs after the HPV incubation period. Before even one visits the doctor for testing or diagnosis, one must learnt of handle the warts properly so as to spread them to other parts of his body.

This is fundamental genital wart medicine that everyone should be capable of swallowing. It would also be very necessary for the victims to postpone intimacy indefinitely or until the warts clears.

If you must do this even with treatment underway, then you must make sure that you use protection such as a condom so that you do not end up contaminating more people.

You must always be very vigilant about ever ignoring your body changes as far as this discussion is concerned particularly if you are a sexually active.

Taking early genital warts signs to the doctor will ensure that severe and frequent ones are prevented. These ones include: burning pain in the affected area, an itching sensation, redness or soreness of the area and also moisture or dampness around the affected area.

Genital warts may be tiny, flat, flesh-colored bumps or tiny, cauliflower-like bumps in advanced stages. After the doctors carry out the various tests, he or she should be able to determine which treatment suits your case best. The available options are:-

Over the counter cures

These include such topical ointments as Imiquimod, Fluorouracil, and Polyphenon. Genital warts cream treatments can also include such things called Interferons. These are antiviral drugs which can either be injected directly into the genital warts, or used as a genital warts cream.

Natural herbs o r home remedies such as mushrooms, apple juice, pineapple, green tea, garlic, vinegar and onions. Some other people who hate chemicals that are contained in many drugs have an option of treating themselves naturally, but only after seeing the doctor.

Surgery

Cryotherapy is another genital warts medicine which many people employ and involves using either liquid nitrogen of carbon dioxide on the affected area. Loop electrosurgical excision procedure is the next surgical procedure that also commonly serves as genital wart medicine.

Prescription medicines

Many people would prefer what comes directly from the hospital and doctors hands because usually this is the last hope of healing for all. This is why these drugs are available and taken under the intervention of the doctor.

What Healthcare Professionals are Saying about Bloodless Surgery

While some of the basic ideas and concepts constituting what is known today as bloodless medicine have been around for centuries, the idea of a set of medical and surgical techniques aimed specifically at eliminating the necessity of blood transfusions has only been around since the 1960s. The idea was spurred mainly by Jehovah’s Witnesses, who became outspoken about their opposition to blood transfusions in the beginning of the 20th century.

Physicians were initially skeptical about performing complex surgeries and operations without using blood transfusions. However, after decades of campaigning and even federal court cases, Witnesses won the right to be treated without blood transfusions.

The early practitioners of bloodless medicine worked almost exclusively with Jehovah’s Witnesses to perform bloodless surgery. In many cases, doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals noticed the results from bloodless operations were actually better than similar operations where a transfusion had been performed. Benefits included quicker recovery times and lower costs. Eventually, these physicians began publishing their results, noting the advantages to these bloodless procedures over traditional blood transfusions. They also explained these benefits to other physicians and encouraged them to adopt the practices with non-Witness patients.

After surgeons in New Orleans and Los Angeles gained attention for performing bloodless open heart surgeries (or “bloodless hearts”), the popularity of bloodless surgery techniques with physicians began to spread around the world. By the late 1970s, bloodless medicine was available at healthcare systems in the U.S., Canada, Europe and India.

Not long thereafter, the public began to take notice as well. Concerns about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) led to people beginning to question where the source of donated blood used in transfusions was coming from. Fear over contracting AIDS through contaminated donor blood led to large numbers of non-Witness patients requesting bloodless surgeries.

Physicians have generally welcomed the increased demand for bloodless surgery in the modern medical climate. Bloodless surgeries have a number of specific advantages to both the patient and surgeon, as well as benefits to the hospital systems offering bloodless surgery. Because more than 50% of surgeries in the U.S. are pre-planned or elective surgeries, many doctors are actually encouraging their patients to consider blood transfusion alternatives.

Why do doctors and healthcare professionals like bloodless surgery methods? There are a number of specific reasons why a particular doctor or healthcare system might choose to offer bloodless medicine program. However, there are two huge advantages that benefit the doctor, the patient and the healthcare system.

1.) Bloodless Surgeries have fewer complications –

Fewer complications mean fewer post-surgery procedures and a quicker recovery time. This is obviously good for patients, but it is good for physicians as well. It frees up more of their time and lessens the likelihood that they could lose a patient in surgery.