oig

Only the USPS Board of Governors can hire and fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.  My website, nUSPS.com is a one stop shop for information on DeJoy.  Pick a section and delve in!  The PMG has ignored the Last Mile for the past 3 years.

The first acknowledgement was the Security Memo issued May 12th about how carriers are being approached with guns and it ends with recommendations to hand carriers your mail!

Again, google USPS OIG KEY.  The information has changed since Aug 2020 but they took away the section that basically  stated NOT to share route issues with Customers so NOW your own local PO's should be very transparent.  The part where it states thee has never been a USPS Master Key Plan in place should never be altered or removed.

Julie Watts McKee, DMD, knew she wanted to be a dentist by the eighth grade. After graduating from dental school and practicing for 10 years in Mt. Sterling, she went on to work for the Governor’s Office, Inspector General’s Office and local health department as a director. Currently, the director of the Kentucky Oral Health Program (KOHP) in the Department for Public Health (DPH), her unique background helps Dr. McKee appreciate the perspectives of dental practitioners, state regulators and public health advocates.

Today’s conversation is about the mission of the KOHP and its role in providing programs and services to help Kentuckians achieve optimal oral health through education, fluoride supplements, fluoride varnishes, sealants, hygiene and other services. We also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on health and well-being across the state and the enormous responsibility of developing and administering safety guidelines, protocols and recommendations for dental care during a worldwide pandemic.

Some of the most important work we do at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) happens behind the scenes. The Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE) is a perfect example. KHIE allows participants with certified electronic health records technology to access, locate, and confidentially share necessary health information with other health care providers at the point of care. Andrew Bledsoe is a deputy executive director at the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and in charge of KHIE. Today we discuss how KHIE supports the health care community in Kentucky to provide an improved quality of patient care as one of the nation’s largest health information exchanges.  

Prevention, detection and investigation of fraud, abuse, waste and mismanagement is a responsibility that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) takes very seriously. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is in charge of investigating these and other matters related to the Cabinet and its programs. Today’s guest, Flo Brown, is a certified welfare fraud investigator (CWFI) for the OIG who has been with the state for almost 11 years. She shares some interesting stories and statistics that exemplify our commitment to ensuring the integrity of Cabinet programs and services.

This week’s Pipeliners Podcast episode features the return of former PHMSA Administrator Howard “Skip” Elliott to discuss the need for full-scale testing to support pipeline safety.

In this episode, you will learn about PHMSA’s collaboration with the pipeline industry, Mr. Elliott’s advice on shifting the narrative around the pipeline industry, and the many benefits of implementing a pipeline safety site like other government agencies. Russel and Mr. Elliott also discuss the need for a safety action program for the pipeline industry.

- Access the show notes and full episode transcript at PipelinePodcastNetwork.com.

Today’s episode of CHFS Community is a discussion with Adam Berrones about Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) and the importance of data. An epidemiologist with a doctorate from the University of Kentucky, Berrones loves to tackle critical problems through research, discovering new questions he can answer statistically. He is passionate about using data findings in a practical way to inform and support policymakers. KASPER is administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) under the Office of Inspector General (OIG), but also partners with law enforcement and other regulatory agencies to prevent the misuse, abuse and diversion of controlled substances in Kentucky. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder call 833-859-4357, or visit the findhelpnow website to find an addiction treatment facility that is taking new clients right now.

In this episode the guys hit on a variety of topics including:

1. Artificial Intelligence

2. OIG Compliance (Fraud Waste and Abuse)

3. Data Analytics

4. Telehealth Fraud

5. Vendor Concerns

Modern Healthcare Rules and Regulations Reporter Mike Brady and Hospital Operations Reporter Alex Kacik discuss the latest data suggesting that patients aren’t sicker, contrary to hospitals’ billing practices. 

-Hospitals’ Medicare billing practices suggest upcoding, OIG says:

-Price hikes, upcoding drive Massachusetts’ inpatient spending:

Subscribe to Modern Healthcare

Follow us on Twitter:

-Modern Healthcare (@modrnhealthcr) 

-Michael Brady (@mbradyreports) 

-Alex Kacik (@alex_kacik)

Music Credit: Coffee by Cambo

The COVID-19 vaccine is here, and people are seeking to get it. Fraudsters are taking advantage of this moment and are scamming people into fake vaccination signups, pilfering money and identity information. HHS OIG Special Agent in Charge Nenette Day tells us about how her organization is navigating upticks in fraud and how to protect yourself from it.

The Inspector General’s office is the regulatory and licensing agency for health care, day care, long-term care facilities, child adoption, and child placement agencies in Kentucky. In this week’s interview, IG Adam Mather discusses how his office provides safety, and improves the quality of life for Kentucky’s most vulnerable. IG Mather also describes how his nursing education and training gives him the clinical and critical thinking skills necessary to oversee a state regulatory agency. Also discussed, is how KASPER takes bad players out of the market, and the recent Shearer drug store prosecution. 

Sec. Friedlander interviews Stephanie Brammer-Barnes from the Office of Inspector General who is retiring after 29 years at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. She describes the early years of ash trays, electronic typewriters and floppy drives, and how perseverance helped her gain confidence and discover her voice. Friedlander and Brammer-Barnes agree that public service is a calling that brings satisfaction and great rewards.

Just in time for the Halloween season, we break some SCARY audit news: The HHS Office of Inspector General has expanded its audit workplan to include PAP supplies — again. Sleep equipment providers might recall that HHS OIG clamped down on claims for replacement PAP supplies in June 2018 after reporting that it had made overpayments of almost $631.3 million at that time. Now HHS is at it again, and sleep providers risk having their claims subjected to six-year lookback audits and expensive recoupments. We talk to audit expert Wayne van Halem to learn what sleep providers need to know and what they should be doing right now.

U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg ruled last week that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must eliminate the Medicare appeals backlog by the end of fiscal year 2022. Reporting our lead story during the next edition of Monitor Mondays will be healthcare attorney Andrew Wachler, managing partner of Wachler and Associates.

In other news, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2019 Medicare Home Health final rule. Reporting on this major story will be William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.

The broadcast rundown also will include:

• Death by Cyber, Part III: RACmonitor investigative reporter and New York attorney Edward Roche will report on how healthcare IT adds to the cost of healthcare, but without offering benefits.
  
  
• Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser with Fredrikson & Byron will report on another example of a potentially troublesome issue that could pose a risk to your facility.
  
  
• Hot Topics: Monitor Mondays senior correspondent Nancy Beckley, president and CEO of Nancy Beckley and Associates, will return to report on all the latest hot topics.
  
  
• Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 Physician Advisory Services, will be making his Monday Rounds with another installment of his popular segment.

PODs (physician-owned distributors) are spreading. The U.S. Senate and the device industry continue to try to kill them off. The latest attack from the U.S. Senate found an unexpected ally—leaders of the POD movement. Read about the latest battle in this ongoing war.