Monday, September 29, 2014
U.S. PRESS STATEMENT CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT GHANI AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ABDULALLAH OF AFGHANISTAN ON INAUGURATION
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
United States Congratulates President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
September 29, 2014
Today we congratulate President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on this historic inauguration. I have known both of them for many years, and they are both patriots committed to the success of their country. Never has that been more evident than in the spirit of cooperation and partnership that united them in establishing a government of national unity to fulfill Afghan aspirations for peace, prosperity and stability.
Afghans have taken a moment of challenge and turned it into a moment of real opportunity.
I also want to recognize President Karzai's contributions to the cause of democracy, development and security. It's no secret that our relationship with President Karzai has been punctuated by disagreements. But always, always, the world has recognized that he is a nationalist, a patriot, and an important figure who stepped forward when his country needed him, and helped profoundly shape one of the most challenging periods in Afghan history that has seen remarkable progress.
No one should forget for a minute what's been accomplished in Afghanistan. Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of so many from around the world, in addition to the strides it has made in consolidating its democratic system, Afghanistan has made unprecedented gains in the life expectancy, health, and education of its people– particularly women and girls.
If I learned anything from my recent visits to Kabul, it's that the Afghan people are determined to choose unity over division and ensure that the first peaceful democratic transition in the history of their country will not be its last.
This is a beginning not an ending, and with all beginnings the toughest decisions are still ahead. As Afghanistan enters this new chapter in its history, the United States looks forward to deepening its enduring partnership with a sovereign, unified and democratic Afghanistan.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS AT UNAIDS
FROM: THE STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at UNAIDS
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
UN Headquarters
New York City
September 25, 2014
And I want to note that my old friend and our leader, Eric Goosby, Dr. Eric Goosby, is here. Happy to see him and all his great work. And I’m happy to see – (applause). I’m happy to see a colleague of mine who I got to serve with for a few years before I came onto this, but delighted to see Senator from Delaware Chris Coons here, his passionate voice in the Senate for this – (applause). And all of you, thank you for – now I’m getting whispered who I have to start – my good friend Michel is saying got to recognize – (laughter) there, there. If I do that, I’m never going to get through this. (Laughter.)
Mr. Deputy Secretary General, three years ago you set a tremendous goal for all of us. You said, "Zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS." And that goal has been set for us to achieve by 2020. In the refusal to allow AIDS to ravage yet another generation, you have showed an even bigger determination than we might have anticipated to meet our global responsibilities. And I want to thank you for the tremendous efforts by setting that target for all of us. And I believe it’s achievable, notwithstanding the difficulties that Jan just mentioned to all of us.
I want to thank President Burkhalter of Switzerland and President Mahama of Ghana and President Zuma of South Africa, and my good old friend Michel Sidibe, the executive director of UNAIDS, for their commitment to helping to write a new chapter in the fight against AIDS.
It’s more than fair to say that the work that we’re doing together here is work that was once just a distant dream. And we are making an AIDS-free generation a closer reality for a lot of folks all around the world.
Now I think about what the word " AIDS" meant when I became a United States Senator in 1985. Back then it was a death sentence. Back then many people in positions of responsibility – and I knew them, some of them – were not even comfortable saying the word or talking about it in a meeting or being present when it was discussed.
I think about what the word " AIDS" meant on a global scale back in the 1990s, back when Senator Bill Frist and I first began working together on this issue and when we started to join three words together in a sentence: " AIDS in Africa." It meant a looming death sentence for an entire continent, and thank God people of conscience and conviction decided that was unacceptable.
The truth is that in many ways, we’ve ended 1985’s meaning of " AIDS" as we knew it. It’s not an unspoken word, nor is it an automatic death sentence. And thanks to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which grew out of our initial efforts in the Senate I am proud to say, we are on the road to do the same globally, notwithstanding pockets of greater emergence or pockets of resistance. But the reason we’re on the road is we know what we can achieve. We’ve seen what we’re able to do. We now have to complete the task to end the era of AIDS, period, full stop end the era. (Applause.)
Last year, I was honored to stand with President Obama as he announced that PEPFAR had not only met but exceeded his goal. That’s what I mean about we know we have the capacity: 6.7 million people are now receiving life-saving treatment, and that’s an astounding number, a fourfold increase since the beginning of this Administration, since Barack Obama came into office. And today, more than one million babies have been born HIV-free because of PEPFAR’s support. Now, these are a lot more than just numbers, and I think everybody in this room knows that better than any other people. Every one of these men, women, children has a unique contribution to make, and every one of those babies can now grow up to be a person, healthy, go to school, contribute to the workforce, realize dreams, and maybe even have sons and daughters of their own. Their lives remind us of what we have achieved, but more importantly, they remind us still of the miles we have yet to go in order to achieve the full-fledged AIDS-free generation.
So first, we need to continue to make strategic and creative investments that are based on the latest science and best practices. In a tight budget environment – and everybody faces that – every dollar, yen, and euro counts. And that’s why we need to focus on data, on mutual accountability, transparency for impact, and put our weight behind HIV prevention, treatment, and care interventions that work. We also need to continue to set benchmarks, and I’m very pleased that PEPFAR’s investment supports UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 targets. (Applause.) PEPFAR is laser-focused on achieving ambitious targets in the areas of high HIV prevalence, and the challenge is obviously big and it’s obviously important.
Second, we need to focus on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children, young women, and vulnerable populations. And that’s why the United States announced a new partnership last month between PEPFAR and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation called Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment. This ambitious partnership will help 300,000 more children living with HIV to get the treatment that they need, and I’m proud to announce today that we are making nearly 500 million in PEPFAR funds available this year to support efforts for children, young women, and vulnerable populations. (Applause.)
Third, we need to double down on our new country health partnerships, which are focused on using data to change people’s lives on the ground. South Africa, Rwanda, Namibia are on the front lines of the transformation from direct aid to providing support for locally run, self-sustaining investments, and we need to back these efforts every step of the way.
Finally, we need to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda reflects the United States’s continued commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and creating an AIDS-free generation. I want to emphasize: The United States commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS is undiminished, just as our work is unfinished. And our commitment has only been strengthened by the progress that we’ve made, the lives we’ve saved, and the fact that we’ve learned we know what to do, we just have to do it. That’s a story worth telling and it’s a story that compels all of us to continue.
So I will never forget just a few months ago walking into the Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa. And as I passed the front gate in the back with a group of doctors, nurses, and patients all assembled, I saw this big sign on the wall that read, " Ethiopia and the United States of America: Investing in a Healthy Future Together." That sign tells it all, and that sign is replicated all across communities in one place or another where this kind of help is coming to people. We know – we know that achieving an AIDS-free generation will continue to pose an incredible test. But we also know that with our work together, we can pass this test, we can see this fight across the finish line. And I’m convinced with the folks here and this commitment we are going to do just that. Let’s not stop. Let’s get the job done. Thank you. (Applause.)
CONSUMERS HURT BY BUSINESS COACHING SCAM RECEIVING REFUNDS IN THE MAIL FROM FTC
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Sends More Than $4.4 Million in Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Business Coaching Scam
Ivy Capital Inc. and 29 co-defendants allegedly took more than $130 million from people who paid thousands of dollars – some paid up to $20,000 – believing they would earn up to $10,000 per month. But the promised coaching program was worthless. Most of the defendants agreed to settle FTC charges that they misrepresented the program and its earning potential, and failed to fully disclose and honor their refund policy. A district court granted summary judgment against five defendants. Litigation continues against Benjamin Hoskins, Dream Financial, and three relief defendants, Leanne Hoskins, Oxford Financial LLC, and Mowab Inc., who filed an appeal. Five defendants defaulted.
Affected consumers will receive more than 55 percent of the amount they lost. Those who receive checks from the FTC’s refund administrator should cash them within 60 days of the mailing date. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed. Those with questions should call the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, Inc., at 1-866-591-7254, or visit www.FTC.gov/refunds for more general information.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them.
NSF ARTICLE ON FOOD BANK ENGINEERING
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Engineering a better food bank
Key nodes in a vast national food distribution system, food banks manage complex logistics that help connect families to farms
For the past few years, a team of engineers has spent long hours poring over data files and complex computer models. They weren't designing nuclear reactors or high-tech cars--they were using their technology and expertise to improve programs that feed the hungry.
Food banks are enormous enterprises, serving as the linchpin for hunger relief efforts across the United States. But they are as complex as the nation's food system itself, collecting food from sources ranging from local farmers to charitable donations and distributing it to myriad agencies that then share it with people in need. Their goal is to do this as fairly and efficiently as possible. But, like many complicated systems, this is easier said than done. That's where engineering comes in.
Julie Ivy is an industrial and systems engineer at North Carolina State University. Industrial and systems engineering (ISE) focuses on understanding processes (like those at a food bank) and using computational models to find ways to improve them.
In 2009, an ISE researcher at North Carolina A&T State University named Lauren Davis contacted Ivy with an idea. One of Davis's students was volunteering at an area food bank and had noticed inefficiencies in the system. What did Ivy think about working with food banks to make them run more smoothly?
That conversation launched a National Science Foundation-funded project that plunged Ivy, Davis and a team of fellow researchers into the intricacies of how food banks operate.
To get a handle on food bank operations, the researchers teamed up with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (FBCENC), based in Raleigh, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, based in Winston-Salem. Both food banks serve extremely large areas and work with many partners. For example, FBCENC alone works with more than 800 agencies to feed more than 550,000 people in 34 counties covering hundreds of square miles.
Each food bank is dedicated to providing its partner agencies with its "fair share" of the food that is available.
The fair share is determined using a formula that is designed to ensure each agency receives food in proportion to its percentage of the overall need. For example, if a county's residents have 17 percent of the need within FBCENC's service area, FBCENC wants to make sure that county's agencies receive 17 percent of the available food.
"But, as we learned, it can be difficult to meet that 'fair share' standard," Ivy says.
"The supply is primarily generated from donations, which adds a degree of complexity not typically present in for-profit supply chains," Davis adds. "The uncertainty associated with both the supply and demand processes make food distribution challenging."
Furthermore, some agencies face limitations on the amount of food they are able to retrieve from the food bank. These limitations may be due to financial pressures, constraints on the availability of personnel, lack of access to adequate transportation, or limited storage space.
"An agency's limitations on receiving food can in turn constrain a county's ability to receive food," Ivy says. "We call these 'bottleneck' counties, because their fair share might be 17 percent, but they might only be able to collect and distribute 14 percent of the available food."
With support from two three-year NSF collaborative research grants, Ivy and Davis assembled a team to collect food bank data, analyze it, and create computational models of supply and distribution processes. The team included Reha Uzsoy and Irem Sengul at NC State, Steven Jiang and Luther Brock at NC A&T, and Charlie Hale and Earline Middleton of FBCENC--as well as a host of undergraduates.
There were several significant outcomes from their work, designed to make the food distribution process more efficient--work that could help limit waste in food distribution systems nationally.
First, the researchers were able to characterize the role that bottleneck counties play in preventing food banks from meeting their fair share goals.
"Food banks have historically focused on demand, and our work made clear that the capacity of agencies to retrieve and store food is actually a key factor in reaching fair-share targets," Ivy says.
Second, the research team developed tactics and policies to help food banks feed more people. For example, the researchers identified ways to distribute food by targeting resources--such as mobile food pantries--on bottleneck counties and giving food banks increased flexibility in meeting fair-share goals.
"If County A is unable to retrieve and distribute its fair share of the food, that food should not be wasted," Ivy says. "It makes sense to distribute that food in areas that have the capacity to make use of it. But then you need to help County A improve its capacity."
The research team demonstrated that food access for charitable agencies located in remote parts of the service area can be improved using satellite delivery locations. The researchers also identified transportation schedules that incorporate both collection and delivery of donated food and take into consideration the unique constraints faced by food banks: perishability, quality control, distribution equity, and capacity.
Lastly, the researchers developed a dynamic modeling technique that provides a more accurate picture of demand at the county level--which would help to make fair share calculations more precise.
"These findings are new, and we're in the process of determining how to implement them with our food bank partners," Ivy says. "But when we do, we think our work could be useful almost anywhere in the United States. That's because FBCENC is part of Feeding America, the largest network of food banks in the U.S. As a result, its processes are similar to the processes of food banks across the country."
-- Matt Shipman, NC State matt_shipman
Investigators
Julie Ivy
Reha Uzsoy
Lauren Davis
Steven Jiang
Related Institutions/Organizations
North Carolina State University
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON EBOLA
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
September 25, 2014
Remarks by President Obama at U.N. Meeting on Ebola
United Nations Building
New York City, New York
11:15 A.M. EDT
Ebola is a horrific disease. It’s wiping out entire families. It has turned simple acts of love and comfort and kindness -- like holding a sick friend’s hand, or embracing a dying child -- into potentially fatal acts. If ever there were a public health emergency deserving an urgent, strong and coordinated international response, this is it.
But this is also more than a health crisis. This is a growing threat to regional and global security. In Liberia, in Guinea, in Sierra Leone, public health systems have collapsed. Economic growth is slowing dramatically. If this epidemic is not stopped, this disease could cause a humanitarian catastrophe across the region. And in an era where regional crises can quickly become global threats, stopping Ebola is in the interest of all of us.
The courageous men and women fighting on the front lines of this disease have told us what they need. They need more beds, they need more supplies, they need more health workers, and they need all of this as fast as possible. Right now, patients are being left to die in the streets because there’s nowhere to put them and there’s nobody to help them. One health worker in Sierra Leone compared fighting this outbreak to “fighting a forest fire with spray bottles.” But with our help, they can put out the blaze.
Last week, I visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is mounting the largest international response in its history. I said that the world could count on America to lead, and that we will provide the capabilities that only we have, and mobilize the world the way we have done in the past in crises of similar magnitude. And I announced that, in addition to the civilian response, the United States would establish a military command in Liberia to support civilian efforts across the region.
Today, that command is up and it is running. Our commander is on the ground in Monrovia, and our teams are working as fast as they can to move in personnel, equipment and supplies. We’re working with Senegal to stand up an air bridge to get health workers and medical supplies into West Africa faster. We’re setting up a field hospital, which will be staffed by personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service, and a training facility, where we’re getting ready to train thousands of health workers from around the world. We’re distributing supplies and information kits to hundreds of thousands of families so they can better protect themselves. And together with our partners, we’ll quickly build new treatment units across Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where thousands will be able to receive care.
Meanwhile, in just the past week, more countries and organizations have stepped up their efforts -- and so has the United Nations. Mr. Secretary-General, the new UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response that you announced last week will bring all of the U.N.’s resources to bear in fighting the epidemic. We thank you for your leadership.
So this is all progress, and it is encouraging. But I want us to be clear: We are not moving fast enough. We are not doing enough. Right now, everybody has the best of intentions, but people are not putting in the kinds of resources that are necessary to put a stop to this epidemic. There is still a significant gap between where we are and where we need to be. We know from experience that the response to an outbreak of this magnitude has to be fast and it has to be sustained. It’s a marathon, but you have to run it like a sprint. And that’s only possible if everybody chips in, if every nation and every organization takes this seriously. Everybody here has to do more.
International organizations have to move faster, and cut through red tape and mobilize partners on the ground as only they can. More nations need to contribute critical assets and capabilities -- whether it is air transport, or medical evacuation, or health care workers, or equipment, or treatment. More foundations can tap into the networks of support that they have, to raise funds and awareness. More businesses, especially those who already have a presence in the region, can quickly provide their own expertise and resources, from access to critical supply chains to telecommunications. And more citizens -- of all nations -- can educate themselves on this crisis, contribute to relief efforts, and call on their leaders to act. So everybody can do something. That’s why we’re here today.
And even as we meet the urgent threat of Ebola, it’s clear that our nations have to do more to prevent, detect and respond to future biological threats -- before they erupt into full-blown crises. Tomorrow, in Washington, I’ll host 44 nations to advance our Global Health Security Agenda, and we are interested in working with any country that shares this commitment.
Just to emphasize this issue of speed again. When I was down at the CDC -- and perhaps this has already been discussed, but I want to emphasize this -- the outbreak is such where at this point more people will die. But the slope of the curve, how fast we can arrest the spread of this disease, how quickly we can contain it is within our control. And if we move fast, even if imperfectly, then that could mean the difference between 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 deaths versus hundreds of thousands or even a million deaths. So this is not one where there should be a lot of wrangling and people waiting to see who else is doing what. Everybody has got to move fast in order for us to make a difference. And if we do, we'll save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Stopping Ebola is a priority for the United States. I've said that this is as important a national security priority for my team as anything else that's out there. We'll do our part. We will continue to lead, but this has to be a priority for everybody else. We cannot do this alone. We don't have the capacity to do all of this by ourselves. We don't have enough health workers by ourselves. We can build the infrastructure and the architecture to get help in, but we're going to need others to contribute.
To my fellow leaders from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, to the people of West Africa, to the heroic health workers who are on the ground as we speak, in some cases, putting themselves at risk -- I want you to know that you are not alone. We’re working urgently to get you the help you need. And we will not stop, we will not relent until we halt this epidemic once and for all.
So I want to thank all of you for the efforts that are made. But I hope that I'm properly communicating a sense of urgency here. Do not stand by, thinking that somehow, because of what we've done, that it's taken care of. It's not. And if we don't take care of this now we are going to see fallout effects and secondary effects from this that will have ramifications for a long time, above and beyond the lives that will have been lost.
I urge all of you, particularly those who have direct access to your heads of state, to make sure that they are making this a top priority in the next several weeks and months.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END
11:25 A.M. EDT
Sunday, September 28, 2014
FRAUD VERDICT IN PONZI SCHEME CASE LEADS TO $80 MILLION IN SANCTIONS AGAINST MAN AND HIS COMPANIES
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Court Imposes Injunctions and Monetary Sanctions of Over $80 Million Against Marlon Quan and His Companies Based On Fraud Verdict
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that, on September 19, 2014, Judge Ann D. Montgomery, of the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, issued an Opinion and Order imposing sanctions against defendants Marlon Quan, Acorn Capital Group, LLC ("Acorn"), Stewardship Investment Advisors, LLC ("SIA") and ACG II, LLC ("ACG II"). In the Opinion and Order, Judge Montgomery imposed permanent injunctions against the defendants, and imposed financial sanctions of over $80 million against Marlon Quan and the three other defendants that he controlled.
The Commission's complaint, which was filed in March 2011, alleged that Marlon Quan helped to facilitate the massive fraud of Tom Petters by funneling several hundred million dollars of investor money into the Petters Ponzi scheme. According to the SEC's 2009 complaint against Tom Petters, he sold promissory notes to feeder funds like those controlled by Quan and his firms. Petters used some of the note proceeds to pay returns to earlier investors, diverting the rest of the cash to his own purposes. Petters had promised investors that their money would be used to finance the purchase of vast amounts of consumer electronics by vendors who then re-sold the merchandise to such retailers as Wal-Mart and Costco. In reality, this "purchase order inventory financing" business was merely a Ponzi scheme -- there were no inventory transactions.
The SEC alleged that Quan and his firms (SIA and Acorn) invested hundreds of millions of hedge fund assets with Petters while pocketing tens of millions of dollars in fees. Marlon Quan and his companies falsely assured investors that their money would be protected by various safeguards such as "lock box accounts." The complaint also alleged that when Petters was unable to make payments on investments held by the funds that Quan managed, Quan and his firms concealed Petters's defaults from investors.
The Commission had previously charged Petters and Illinois-based fund manager Gregory M. Bell with fraud, and filed additional charges against Florida-based hedge fund managers Bruce F. Prévost and David W. Harrold for similarly defrauding their investors in connection with investments in the Petters Ponzi scheme. Subsequent to filing the complaint against Marlon Quan and his companies, the SEC also charged James Fry, a Minnesota-based hedge fund manager, with similar misconduct.
After a nine-day trial, on February 11, 2014, the jury returned a verdict for the Commission and against the defendants, finding Marlon Quan and his three companies liable for securities fraud. In her September 19th Opinion and Order, Judge Montgomery permanently enjoined the Marlon Quan, Acorn, SIA and ACG II from violating, or aiding and abetting violations of, Section 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Section 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder. Judge Montgomery further ordered that Marlon Quan and the other defendants were liable, jointly and severally, for disgorgement of $80,6213,589 together with prejudgment interest.
The trial team from the Commission's Chicago Regional Office consisted of attorneys John E. Birkenheier, C.J. Kerstetter, Timothy Leiman, Michael Mueller, Senior Accountant Don Ryba, and paralegal Sarah Renardo.
HHS SAYS REPORT PROJECTS $5.7 BILLION DECREASE IN HOSPITAL UNCOMPENSATED CARE COSTS
HHS SAYS REPORT PROJECTS $5.7 BILLION DECREASE IN HOSPITAL UNCOMPENSATED CARE COSTS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HHS,
Hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid will receive about 74 percent of the total savings nationally
A report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services projects that hospitals will save $5.7 billion this year in uncompensated care costs because of the Affordable Care Act, with states that have expanded Medicaid seeing about 74 percent of the total savings nationally compared to states that have not expanded Medicaid.
For over a decade prior to the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of the American population that was uninsured had been growing steadily. But with the significant expansion of coverage under the health care law through the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid, the uninsurance rate is at historic lows. As a result, the volume of uncompensated care provided in hospitals and emergency departments has fallen substantially in the last year, particularly in Medicaid expansion states.
“Hospitals have long been on the front lines of caring for the uninsured, who often cannot pay the full costs of their care,” said HHS Secretary M. Sylvia Burwell. “Today’s news is good for families, businesses, and taxpayers alike. It’s yet another example of how the Affordable Care Act is working in terms of affordability, access, and quality.”
Projections from today’s report suggest that hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act will see greater savings than hospitals in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid are projected to save up to $4.2 billion, which makes up about 74 percent of the total savings nationally this year. Hospitals in states that have opted not to expand Medicaid are projected to save up to $1.5 billion this year, and which is only 26 percent of the total savings nationally.
Medicaid expansion continues to help an unprecedented number of Americans access health coverage, many for the very first time. According to a recent report, as of July, nearly 8 million additional individuals are now enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), compared to before open enrollment in the Marketplace began in October 2013.
Because of the Affordable Care Act, states have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to individuals with family incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes non-elderly adults without dependent children, who have not previously been eligible for Medicaid in most states. Twenty-eight states, including the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HHS,
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
September 24, 2014
Contact: HHS Press Office
New report projects a $5.7 billion drop in hospitals’ uncompensated care costs because of the Affordable Care Act
Hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid will receive about 74 percent of the total savings nationally
A report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services projects that hospitals will save $5.7 billion this year in uncompensated care costs because of the Affordable Care Act, with states that have expanded Medicaid seeing about 74 percent of the total savings nationally compared to states that have not expanded Medicaid.
For over a decade prior to the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of the American population that was uninsured had been growing steadily. But with the significant expansion of coverage under the health care law through the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid, the uninsurance rate is at historic lows. As a result, the volume of uncompensated care provided in hospitals and emergency departments has fallen substantially in the last year, particularly in Medicaid expansion states.
“Hospitals have long been on the front lines of caring for the uninsured, who often cannot pay the full costs of their care,” said HHS Secretary M. Sylvia Burwell. “Today’s news is good for families, businesses, and taxpayers alike. It’s yet another example of how the Affordable Care Act is working in terms of affordability, access, and quality.”
Projections from today’s report suggest that hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act will see greater savings than hospitals in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid are projected to save up to $4.2 billion, which makes up about 74 percent of the total savings nationally this year. Hospitals in states that have opted not to expand Medicaid are projected to save up to $1.5 billion this year, and which is only 26 percent of the total savings nationally.
Medicaid expansion continues to help an unprecedented number of Americans access health coverage, many for the very first time. According to a recent report, as of July, nearly 8 million additional individuals are now enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), compared to before open enrollment in the Marketplace began in October 2013.
Because of the Affordable Care Act, states have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to individuals with family incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes non-elderly adults without dependent children, who have not previously been eligible for Medicaid in most states. Twenty-eight states, including the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
FRANK ROSE MAKES REMARKS ON SECURITY OF SPACE ENVIRONMENT
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Ensuring the Long-Term Sustainability and Security of the Space Environment
Remarks
Frank A. Rose
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Capital Section, Army Navy Country Club
Arlington, VA
September 25, 2014
Good afternoon. Today, I’d like to discuss a vital interest of the United States, as well as the entire global community: ensuring the long-term sustainability, stability, safety, and security of the space environment.
This audience is not one that needs to be convinced of the importance of the space environment to our national security. We all know very well that space assets are integral to our national security, as well as that of our allies and coalition partners.
For over five decades the global community has been inspired by humanity's space endeavors and reaped the benefits of the use and exploration of outer space. Some may take these benefits for granted so we must educate the public about the consequences if the space environment were to become unusable.
Outer space is a domain that no nation owns but on which all rely. Today the outer space environment is becoming increasingly congested from orbital debris, and contested from man-made threats—such as debris-generating Anti-Satellite systems—that may disrupt the space environment, upon which we all depend. The world’s growing dependence on the globe-spanning and interconnected nature of space capabilities mean that it is more important than ever for all citizens to understand that irresponsible acts in space by one entity can have damaging consequences for all. Therefore, it is essential that all nations work together to adopt approaches for responsible activity in space in order to preserve this domain for future generations.
In my remarks today, I would like to cover two aspects in regard to ensuring the security and sustainability of the space environment: first, the risks and dangers to space systems from debris generating anti-satellite or ASAT tests; second, the role of international diplomatic initiatives in protecting the long-term sustainability and security of the space environment.
Threats to Outer Space
Let me start with the risks and dangers. On July 23, the Chinese Government conducted a non-destructive test of a missile designed to destroy satellites in low Earth orbit. Despite China’s claims that this was a missile defense test; let me assure you the United States has high confidence in its assessment, that the event was indeed an ASAT test.
And China is not the only one pursuing these capabilities. As Director of National Intelligence James Clapper noted in his February 2014 congressional testimony, "Russian leaders openly maintain that the Russian armed forces have antisatellite weapons and conduct antisatellite research."
The United States believes that these threats, which include the continued development and testing of destructive anti-satellite systems, are both destabilizing and threaten the long-term security and sustainability of the outer space environment including all who benefit from outer space including the scientific, commercial, and civil space communities. Indeed, thousands of pieces of debris from the 2007 Chinese ASAT test continue to endanger space systems—as well as astronauts—from all nations, including China.
On the security side, ASAT weapons directly threaten satellites and the strategic and tactical information those satellites provide, and their use could be escalatory in a crisis or conflict. They also pose a direct threat to key assets used in arms control verification monitoring, command and control and communication, and warning and attack assessment. A debris generating test or attack may only be minutes in duration, but the consequences can last decades and indiscriminately threaten the space-based assets of all space-faring nations, and the information from space upon which all nations depend. On the civil space side, there have been numerous examples of the need to raise the orbit of the International Space Station due to a conjunction with a piece of debris from the 2007 Chinese ASAT test. And just as these systems threaten our national security space systems, they can threaten the civil satellites that are so essential to our everyday lives like weather satellites.
Multilateral Efforts toward a Stable and Sustainable Space Environment
Given these threats and the current era where dozens of States and nongovernmental organizations are harnessing the benefits of outer space, we have no choice but to work with our allies and partners around the world to ensure the long-term sustainability of the space environment. We also must speak clearly and publicly about what behavior the international community should find both acceptable and unacceptable. Over the past few years, the United States has worked to support a number of multilateral initiatives that seek to establish “rules of the road” for space that are both in the national security interests of the United States, and will further the long-term stability and sustainability of the space environment.
Just last year, I served as the United States expert on a United Nations-sponsored Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) study of outer space transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs). The GGE report which was published in July of last year and agreed to by China and Russia endorsed voluntary, non-legally binding TCBMs to strengthen stability in space. The GGE recommended that States implement measures to promote coordination to enhance safety and predictability in the uses of outer space. The GGE also endorsed “efforts to pursue political commitments, for example, a multilateral code of conduct, to encourage responsible actions in, and the peaceful use of, outer space.”
This International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities is another important multilateral initiative. Among the Code’s commitments for signatories is to refrain from any action which brings about, directly or indirectly, damage, or destruction, of space objects and to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the creation of space debris, in particular, the creation of long-lived space debris. The Code could also help solidify safe operational practices, reduce the chance of collisions or other harmful interference with nations’ activities, contribute to our awareness of the space environment through notifications, and strengthen stability in space by helping establish norms for responsible behavior in space.
Lastly, the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) is also doing important work to move forward in the development of new international long-term sustainability guidelines. U.S. experts from the private sector as well the federal government have played a leading role in the COPUOS Working Group on Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, including key contributions from AIAA experts on space technical standards. These efforts contribute to the development of multilateral and bilateral space TCBMs. Exchanges of information between space operations centers also can serve as useful confidence building measures.
Multilateral diplomatic initiatives contribute greatly to defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in space and therefore are key components of the United States deterrence strategy. In addition, if we are serious about maintaining the space environment for future generations, we must support such measures that promote positive activities in space and further the creation of norms which dissuade countries from taking destabilizing actions such as the testing of debris-generating ASAT systems. By working with the international community, we can, and must, advance the long-term sustainability and security of the outer space environment for all nations and future generations
With that, I would like to thank you for your time and stop here in order to leave time for questions.
THREE PLEAD GUILTY, SEVEN MORE INDICTED IN $56 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD CASE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Seven Defendants Indicted and Three Other Defendants Plead Guilty for Their Roles in $56 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
Paige Okpalobi, 57, of Slidell, Louisiana; Joe Ann Murthil, 57, of New Orleans; Latausha Dannel, 34, of Laplace, Louisiana; Dr. Winston Murray, 62, of Hammond, Louisiana; Dr. Divini Luccioni, 53, of Kenner, Louisiana; Christopher White, 48, of Destrehan, Louisiana; and Beverly Breaux, 66, of New Orleans, were charged in connection with their roles in a home health care fraud scheme involving thousands of Medicare recipients. Mark Morad, 51, of Slidell; Dr. Barbara Smith, 65, of Metairie, Louisiana; and Dr. Roy Berkowitz, 68, of Slidell, had been previously charged for their participation in the scheme, and today’s indictment added new charges against them.
The second superseding indictment comes one day after Dr. Alvin Darby, 58, of Slidell; Demetrius Temple, 54, of New Orleans; and Nicole Oliver, 44, of Napoleonville, Louisiana, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme. Sentencing for each is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2015 before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The indictment alleges that the defendants operated a number of companies in and around New Orleans that purported to offer home health services and durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries. The companies, Interlink Health Care Services Inc., Memorial Home Health Inc., Lakeland Health Care Services Inc., Lexmark Health Care LLC, Med Rite Pharmacy Inc. and Medical Specialists of New Orleans, billed Medicare claiming that they provided home health services and durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries, but the vast majority of these services and equipment were not medically necessary or not provided.
The indictment further alleges that Morad and Okpalobi owned and directed operations at these companies. Morad allegedly paid kickbacks to patient recruiters, including Temple and Oliver, to provide Medicare beneficiary numbers that were then used to bill Medicare. To conceal these kickbacks, Morad allegedly laundered Medicare money through a separate company he owned.
Court documents also allege that Okpalobi instructed doctors, including Smith, Berkowitz, Murray, Luccioni, and Darby, to falsely certify that beneficiaries were qualified for home health services, and to prescribe durable medical equipment that was not medically needed. These false certifications and prescriptions were then used to bill Medicare for the unnecessary services and equipment.
Murthil and Dannel were office managers who allegedly oversaw daily operations at the home health companies. White allegedly performed accounting services for these companies, and helped conceal the scheme by fabricating false tax and employee records. Breaux was a registered nurse who is alleged to have falsely certified that home health clients were homebound, and that she had provided home health care services when she had not.
From 2007 through 2014, the companies allegedly involved in the scheme submitted more than $56 million in claims to Medicare, the majority of which are allegedly fraudulent. Medicare paid approximately $50.7 million on those claims.
The charges contained in this indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William G. Kanellis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrice Harris Sullivan of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
RECENT DOD PHOTOS: MARINES PATROLLING IN AFGHANISTAN
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Marines use optic sensors on vehicles to observe the surrounding area during a security patrol in Shorab in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 20, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John A. Martinez Jr.
U.S. Marines patrol in a tactical column in Shorab in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 20, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John A. Martinez Jr.
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