The HCLA Board of Directors voted this week to send a strongly worded letter in support of the US Attorney’s HEAT strike force activity that resulted in Medicare Fraud charges being brought against 31 individuals in the Baton Rouge area last Friday. That letter is being hand delivered today to US Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Amundsen, and Special Agent Bill Root of the HHS Office of the Inspector General.
The following letter to the editor, sent to the state’s leading newspapers, was another item decided on by the HCLA Board of directors. The letter is in substance the same as the one sent to the US Attorney et al. The Board also directed HCLA to work in collaboration with the Senior Medicare Patrol, a CMS project to educate seniors about Medicare Fraud.
If you would like to offer suggestions related to the Senior Medicare Patrol project please contact HCLA. Here is the letter to the editors:
The Board of the HomeCare Association of Louisiana strongly commends the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (H.E.A.T) strike force that resulted in Medicare fraud charges against 31 people in the Baton Rouge area Friday, July, 16,2010. Nearly 60,000 Medicare recipients were served by Registered Nurses, therapists, social workers, and aides of licensed, certified home health agencies in Louisiana last year. Aging citizens and those with disabilities are often vulnerable, frail, and easy targets for those who would prey upon them.
The government’s innovative ‘strike force’ approach, using data to rapidly identify and root out Medicare fraud, is an important advancement in fighting Medicare crime. Committed, invested Louisiana healthcare providers are also harmed by the criminal element. Reputable business people cannot compete with the criminals.
The US Attorney’s work is not complete. The “HEAT” continues its efforts across all sectors of healthcare. Legitimate providers, most of whom have family members on Medicare, welcome and encourage efforts to identify the criminal element and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We encourage our colleagues across the healthcare continuum to do the same.
Warren Hebert, RN
HomeCare Association of Louisiana
