Quote of the day
“We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to tap into the wealth of knowledge and expertise of DOJ and the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, particularly in the fee-for-service environment.”
VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal
Wichita Falls Times Record News
State investigator finds Ohio BWC grant oversight inadequate at university
The Ohio Inspector General has determined grant funds were inadequately overseen by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation at Ohio University, as well as other higher education institutions in the state. The BWC also was found to be creating and submitting invoices on behalf of the university, contrary to the agreement. Athens Messenger
New federal healthcare fraud task force
In the wake of dozens of individuals and businesses being charged over the last few months in fraud cases that impact the VA’s healthcare programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice this week announced the creation of a task force expected to focus on a program through which eligible veterans receive care from private providers. Wichita Falls Times Record News
Contractor allegedly fired pregnant woman following work-related injury at JFK
A 31-year-old pregnant woman says she fell onto a moving conveyor belt in May after she leaned over to dislodge baggage that was stuck and lost her balance, and that her employment subsequently was terminated. New York Daily News
Lawsuit claims bank ignored fraud
The owner of a Kentucky lumber company says a West Virginia bank failed to catch a fraudulent checks scheme by two former employees that cost his company more than $821,000 between 2016 and 2018. In 2017, the bank was ordered to pay $1.4 million in federal fines for violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act: a longtime customer admitted to making $1.36 million in withdrawals as part of a multimillion-dollar scheme against West Virginia’s leading workers’ compensation provider at the time, according to a previous Gazette-Mail report. Charleston Gazette-Mail
Recognizing the aging construction workforce
A recent survey finds the number of workers aged 55 and over is increasing, while the number under the age of 25 is decreasing, and the construction industry may feel this more acutely than other industries. Companies that recognize ergonomic needs of employees will improve responsiveness to accommodation requests and reduce workers’ compensation injury claims. National Law Review