Health Care Fraud Investigations Pulling In $8 For Every Dollar Spent

Health Care Fraud Investigations Pulling In $8 For Every Dollar Spent: "WASHINGTON -- The government says it recovered almost $8 for each dollar it spent investigating health care fraud over the past three years, including a record $4.2 billion last year.

The $7.90 average return on investment is the highest in the 16-year history of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Program. Since 1997, the program – a joint effort of the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services – has returned more than $23 billion to the Medicare trust funds."

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Federal Health Care Fraud Probes Brought in Record $4.2B Last Year - California Healthline

Federal Health Care Fraud Probes Brought in Record $4.2B Last Year - California Healthline: "The federal government recouped a record $4.2 billion through health care fraud investigations in 2012, according to a report released Monday by the Department of Justice and HHS, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports (Baker, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/11).

The recovered funds came from the more than 1,100 criminal health care fraud investigations and 900 civil investigations launched in 2012. More than 800 individuals were convicted of fraud-related crimes in the criminal cases.

Overall, the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Program has recovered more than $23 billion in Medicare funds since it was created in 1997 (AP/Modern Healthcare, 2/11). Recent efforts have increased the amount of fraudulent payments the federal government has recaptured. "

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150-foot asteroid to zoom near Earth this week | Fox News

150-foot asteroid to zoom near Earth this week | Fox News: "An asteroid half the size of a football field will buzz close by Earth on Friday, coming closer than many weather satellites, but there is absolutely no chance the space rock will hit the planet, NASA says.

The asteroid 2012 DA14 will approach within 17,200 miles of Earth when it zips by the planet on Friday (Feb. 15). It will be 5,000 miles closer than the ring of weather, communications and GPS navigation satellites that orbit the Earth, but it poses no impact threat, NASA scientists assured."

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Saudi Press Agency says prince Sattam, half-brother of king Abdullah dies | Fox News

Saudi Press Agency says prince Sattam, half-brother of king Abdullah dies | Fox News: "RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA –  The official Saudi Press Agency says that Prince Sattam bin Abdel Aziz, King Abdullah's half brother, has died at the age of 72.

The agency quoted a royal court statement as saying Prince Sattam, governor of the capital Riyadh, will be buried Wednesday.

The statement did not mention the cause of death. The Saudi ruling family rarely gives details on the medical status of top figures, even when they are hospitalized."

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Girl, age 9, gives birth in Mexico

Girl, age 9, gives birth in Mexico: "In a story as sad as it is alarming, Mexican officials say a 9-year-old girl has just given birth to a baby there. The girl's mother said her daughter was only 8 when she was impregnated by a 17-year-old boy who has since run away. Authorities in Jalisco state are looking for the teen "to get his story" because the girl doesn't understand what has happened. "This is a rape or child sex abuse case," the state prosecutor said (um, duh). The little girl and her baby girl, who was born Jan. 27, have been released from the hospital. Both are said to be doing well but doctors plan to monitor them carefully due to the new mother's age."

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Uniting against rising extremist terrorism | The Jakarta Post

Uniting against rising extremist terrorism | The Jakarta Post: "After the raid on two “kingpins” of Malaysian-born terrorist operations in Indonesia, namely “The Demolisher” Dr. Azahari Husin ( 2005) and “The Financier” Noordin M Top (2009), plus the capture — and then the executions — of the Bali bombers, Indonesian people assumed that terrorist activities would end, and the country would be free from such violence. Unfortunately, terrorist attacks continued to persist.

After deadly attacks in Aceh, Medan (North Sumatra) and Cirebon (West Java), the terrorists recently targeted Surakarta, or Solo, in Central Java. "



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Ramd Paul Attacks Christie Over NRA, Sandy

Ramd Paul Attacks Christie Over NRA, Sandy: "GOP Sen. Rand Paul attacked New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday for lambasting the National Rifle Association and having a “tantrum” over Superstorm Sandy aid.

Christie's moves will hurt his chances of capturing the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2016, the Kentucky senator said.

“I think people need to think through what their position on these things are,” Paul said on “The Laura Ingraham Show.”"

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The 1 WORST food that CAUSES aging -- avoid this and look 5-10 years younger

The 1 WORST food that CAUSES aging -- avoid this and look 5-10 years younger: "Do you eat these foods that HARM your blood sugar and age your joints and skin faster?  Some are even deceptively marketed to you as "healthy" by giant food corporations.  Avoid or minimize these and look 5-10 years YOUNGER than your real age."

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Biden Sworn in for Second Term

Biden Sworn in for Second Term: "Formally embarking on a second term, Vice President Joe Biden took the oath of office Sunday, surrounded by family and friends in an early morning ceremony that kicked off a day of celebrations marking four more years for the Obama administration."

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Will Freeport-McMoRan's Earnings Shine? (FCX)

Will Freeport-McMoRan's Earnings Shine? (FCX): "2013 is here, and earnings season has already started ramping up. The key to making smart investment decisions with stocks releasing their quarterly reports is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move."

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The euro crisis no one is talking about: France is in free fall - The Term Sheet: Fortune's deals blogTerm Sheet

The euro crisis no one is talking about: France is in free fall - The Term Sheet: Fortune's deals blogTerm Sheet: "The euro zone's second-largest economy is suffering more than any other member from a shocking deterioration in competitiveness. And it's doing nothing to stop it.

France president Francois Hollande
FORTUNE -- Given investors' confidence in its sovereign debt, and its image as Germany's principal partner in the sturdy, sensible "northern" eurozone, you'd think that France endures as the co-guardian of the endangered single currency."

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Rio Tinto to Book $14 Billion Charge; C.E.O. Steps Down - NYTimes.com

Rio Tinto to Book $14 Billion Charge; C.E.O. Steps Down - NYTimes.com: "5:42 a.m. | Updated

LONDON — Two expensive acquisitions have come at a steep price for Rio Tinto, the Anglo-Australian mining giant.

The company, the world’s second-largest mining company after BHP Billiton, said on Thursday that it was taking a $14 billion write-down on the value of aluminum and coal mining assets — a huge amount that came as a surprise to some analysts and investors."

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FAA Relied on Boeing-Generated Battery Data - WSJ.com

FAA Relied on Boeing-Generated Battery Data - WSJ.com: "By ANDY PASZTOR And JON OSTROWER

In approving Boeing Co.'s BA +1.24% 787 Deamliner to start carrying passengers in 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration relied extensively on data generated by Boeing that indicated the plane's advanced lithium-ion battery systems—never used before on a big jetliner—featured redundant safeguards that were essentially foolproof."

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Some hostages are reported killed in Algerian operation - The Washington Post

Some hostages are reported killed in Algerian operation - The Washington Post: "By Anthony Faiola, Updated: Thursday, January 17, 7:39 PM

LONDON — The Algerian government on Thursday staged a high-stakes military assault against Islamist militants to free scores of hostages, including Americans, at an international gas complex in the Sahara, with official accounts suggesting a tragedy had unfolded in the desert."

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NBC News - Google+ - Some hostages who escaped Islamist militants at Algeria gas…

NBC News - Google+ - Some hostages who escaped Islamist militants at Algeria gas…: "Some hostages who escaped Islamist militants at Algeria gas plant due in London

Western hostages being held by Islamist militants at a gas plant in Algeria were feared to have been killed during a raid by Algerian forces Thursday. At least some hostages, however, reportedly escaped."



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