Feds try to prevent fraud by blocking new home-health agencies in Dallas, Houston areas

Federal regulators moved today to block new home-health agencies from starting up in the Dallas and Houston areas. The reason, in a word: fraud.

Specifically, the regulators said they wouldn’t let any new agencies bill Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors. The moratorium starts tomorrow and is expected to last at least six months.

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Today’s announcement by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said the agency was moving “beyond ‘pay and chase’ to prevent fraud in areas of known risk.” It said the Dallas and Houston areas have a “disproportionate number of home-health providers” and “extremely high utilization.”

Similar moratoria apply in the Detroit, Chicago and South Florida areas.

More at http://watchdogblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/feds-try-to-prevent-fraud-by-blocking-new-home-health-agencies-in-dallas-houston-areas.html/ .