A Cincinnati-area nursing home must repay the state nearly $300,000 because of "widespread" Medicaid billing errors, according to State Auditor Mary Taylor. Taylor’s audit of Burlington House "identified 160 inaccurate claims between July 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2005, finding errors in about 13 percent of the 1,234 Medicaid claims that were audited. Burlington House was paid nearly $5.2 million in state and federal Medicaid money during that time." (Source: "State: Nursing home owes $300,000" Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 12, 2007.)
Hospital chain Signature Hospital Corporation has canceled a deal to purchase Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren from Forum Health Systems. Forum Health is selling the hospital "as part of an effort to retire its debt and to allow the system to recover and grow, according to the company. Since the beginning of 2006, Forum been working to avoid falling into bankruptcy through a series of moves to create greater efficiency in each of its hospitals, obtaining concessions from its nonunion and union staffs, and through selling its assets." Earlier this year, Forum closed Tod Children’s Hospital, which was at Northside Medical Center. Forum Health recently announced the potential sale of Beeghly Oaks longterm care facility to Vrable Healthcare Companies and Beeghly Medical Park in Boardman to Akron Children’s Hospital. (Source: "Hospital sale flat-lines," Tribune Chronicle, Oct. 12, 2007.)
Kroger and Giant Eagle, two supermarket chains with numerous locations in Ohio, have followed the lead of Wal-Mart and cut generic prescription prices in an effort to lure customers. Offerings will include generic versions of commonly prescribed drugs for asthma, depression, diabetes and heart disease, although certain limitations will apply. "Wal-Mart began the drug-price wars in September 2006, when the company priced about 300 generic-prescription drugs at $4. It began the program in Florida and expanded to Ohio last October. Wal-Mart's expansion of the program to Ohio came on the heels of announcements by Giant Eagle and Meijer that their stores would provide some prescription antibiotic medicines free." According to Ted Taft, managing director of Meridian Consulting Group, supermarkets are heavily invested in pharmacies, and it's a high-profit area for them. (Source: "Kroger selling generic drugs for $4," Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 12, 2007.)
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