This week federal and state authorities announced that they were cracking down on a ring that bilked medicare out of 1 million pills that went for $23 to $27 a pop on the black market.
Authorities charged 14 people, including two doctors, who ran the scheme out of a clinic called Lake Medical Group on West 8th Street.
OxyContin Ring Bilked Medicare, Brought 1 Million Pills to Black Market
Not a Surprise: Man Who Tried Doing His Own Hernia Surgery Doesn't Have Insurance
The wife of a Glendale man who tried unsuccessfully to perform his own hernia removal operation with a butter knife says their lack of insurance is at the root of their troubles, according to the Glendale News-Press.
Patient Rights Expanded, LGBT Families Can Comfort Loved Ones without Discrimination
As of yesterday, hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid must allow all patients to decide upon visitation rights and who to entrust with making medical decisions on their behalf regardless of sexual orientation or identity, according to The Huffington Post.
Brian Bond, White House deputy director of public engagement, said that "This policy impacts millions of LGBT Americans and their families. The President saw an injustice and felt very strongly about correcting this and has spoken about it often over the years."
Schoolhouse Rock and the Health Care Reform Bill
Although it was highly anticlimactic and awfully frustrating for all parties involved, this week signified a historic move on the health care reform bill.
So what exactly happened? Well, the US Senate voted 60-40 -- not in favor of passing a specific bill --- but in favor of ending debate and stopping further filibustering on a specific set of amendments to the health care reform bill known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [full bill and amendments can be found here (.pdf)]
FBI Raids 3 Local Area Hospitals
After a two-year investigation into alleged Medicare fraud involving homeless patients, federal agents raided three hospitals this morning: City of Angels Medical Center, Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center and Tustin Hospital and Medical Center. The schemes involved defrauding the state and federal governments out of millions of dollars by using homeless skid row residents. A top executive at City of Angels was arrested as well as one other person, according to the LA Times. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo plans to announce civil litigation this morning. Earlier this year: FBI raids LACMA.
Bad Boys, Bad Boys: Glendale Traffic Stop Yields Man Wanted by FBI for Health Care Fraud
It sounds a little like something you might see on COPS: What was just going to be a routine traffic stop in Glendale turned out to be a major nab for the FBI.

