Specialized units target Medicare, Medicaid swindlers in Indiana
Inside an unmarked building in a nondescript office park in Castleton is a burgeoning, multi-million-dollar legal enterprise. Its mission: cracking down on Medicaid fraud.
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Duke loses appeal of scandal-touched IURC rate case reversal
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s reversal and subsequent rejection of deferred accounting of $11.9 million for Duke Energy was affirmed by the Court of Appeals Friday in a case revisited because of an ethics scandal involving state regulators.
Public interest in reducing poverty is grounds for application of doctrine of laches
In overturning a lower court’s ruling, the Indiana Court of Appeals opened the door for the doctrine of laches to be applied to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles by finding the suspension of a Bloomington woman’s driving privileges conflicts with the public’s interest in reducing poverty.
Appeals court upholds Medicaid fraud charges
A woman charged with defrauding Indiana’s Medicaid program of nearly $350,000 lost the appeal of her partial motion to dismiss the charges.
Sensient settles over use of ‘popcorn lung’ chemical
Sensient Flavors LLC will pay a smaller fine in exchange for agreeing to reduce the amount of a chemical it uses at its Indianapolis plant, as part of a settlement it has reached with state regulators.
AG: State Fair stage collapse victim payments completed
Victims of the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse soon will receive a supplemental and final disbursement of money allocated for victims of the tragedy that killed seven people and injured scores more.
Drugmaker settlement nets state $793K
Indiana will collect $793,000 in reimbursement to the Medicaid program as part of a nationwide settlement of claims that the pharmaceutical company Amgen Inc. illegally marketed drugs, offered doctors kickbacks and submitted ineligible claims for payment.
AG’s office sues 2 foreclosure consultants
The Office of the Indiana Attorney General has filed lawsuits against two foreclosure consultant companies that took more than $2,600 from Indiana homeowners without providing services or refunds.
Powers collide in utility rate case charged by ethics scandal
Undue influence is an undercurrent of Duke Energy v. Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission case.
Pilot iPad program expanding in Indiana General Assembly
The process of turning a bill into a law requires thousands of pages of paper. Even the bills that do not become laws consume stacks and stacks – literally tons – of paper each year. But the tide may be turning. A pilot project in the Indiana General Assembly is being expanded with the goal of eventually replacing all that paper with electronic copies.
ATM fee notice change likely
A requirement that automated teller machines post notices on or near the machine will be repealed under a bill Congress has sent to President Barack Obama.
Hoosiers want legislators to focus on job creation
A survey released Thursday by the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University shows that 81 percent of residents want job creation to be the main priority for the Indiana General Assembly in 2013. This is the third straight year that Hoosiers said jobs are the No. 1 priority.
Justices deny Bisard’s blood evidence appeal
The Indiana Supreme Court let stand a ruling by the Court of Appeals allowing blood test results to be admitted in the drunken driving fatality trial of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer David Bisard.
Court split over valid ID requirement for name change
The Court of Appeals concluded Wednesday that the trial court erred when it required a valid driver’s license or state identification card as a prerequisite to grant a petition for a name change under Indiana Code 34-28-2, but split over whether an elderly man can change his name because he’s never had a valid state-issued ID.
Indiana justices consider constitutional challenge to Choice Scholarship Program
Indiana’s test case for school vouchers could have implications for other states, legal observers said after the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that challenges the constitutionality of school vouchers.
Possible end of tax credit leaves future renewable energy sources up in the air
Newton County lawyer Dan Blaney has a blunt reaction to the potential end of a federal subsidy that has enabled the rise of wind energy in his part of the state. “We’re in trouble,” he said.
Drought fuels renewed drive for a statewide water policy
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is finding that there is nothing quite like a dry, arid, hot summer to spark people’s interest in water.
Lawmakers to look at marijuana penalties
There’s a growing appetite by some in the Legislature for leniency.
King Celebration to place special emphasis on community service
Two new activities promoting public service will be part of the 22nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Indiana Holiday Celebration and Youth Summit.
IU professor helps get pesky scrivener’s error removed from Trademark Act
One pesky scrivener’s error that altered the protection provided by the Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006 has been corrected thanks to the efforts of an Indiana University professor.