Christina Jewett, Senior Correspondent with the KHN enterprise team, covers end-of-life and acute care. She spent seven years with The Center for Investigative Reporting, where she worked with a partner and CNN on a series that uncovered widespread graft in Medicaid-funded drug rehab centers, spurring the closure of scores of centers and 11 arrests.
Prosecutors allege that consultant David Blaszczak learned that Medicare was planning to cut the amount it reimburses doctors who used certain types of therapy on cancer patients and relayed the information to contacts at Deerfield Management.
Almost 100 hospitals reported suspicious data on dangerous hospital-acquired infections to Medicare officials, but the agency did not follow up or examine any of the cases in depth, according to a report by Health and Human Services inspector general’s office.
Transitioning to PDPM models significantly shifted the healthcare industry. By replacing the RUG system, healthcare providers cut waste and more accurately reflect the care each patient received.
The Senate Democrats have been asking for more time to look into questions that he may have misled the public about issues in his financial background.
As Tom Price's Senate confirmation hearing for the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services nears, letters from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services obtained by an open records request show his work in support of drug firms, device manufacturers, and higher physician payments.