So you’ve added the exercise your doctor recommends. You are walking the golf course, doing the Wii Fit, or getting groovy in water aerobics. You’re burning calories for better heart health and lowering cholesterol.

Great job! So here’s a simple tip for maximizing the benefits of your workouts: eat the right foods, right after you finish.  

Researchers determined that eating certain proteins and carbohydrates together after a workout can dramatically increase your recovery and conditioning. In addition to replenishing fluids, the body needs carbohydrates to bounce back efficiently. Additionally, it uses proteins to aid in muscle building and recovery.

Amino acids found in such foods as nuts, beans, wholemeal bread,  brown rice or protein bars can be paired with fast-burning carbohydrates in a 4:1 ratio, according to studies. When eaten within 15 minutes of the end of the workout, it will maximize the benefits of any strength building you have done.

Some suggestions for what to eat? How about carrots or celery dipped in peanut butter and rolled in trail mix? Another winner is black beans and brown rice. Like it sweet? Try rice pudding, or cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. For food to go, grab chocolate milk or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wholewheat bread. Lean meats and yogurt are great too.

The key? Drink plenty of water, eat proteins from whole food sources, and consume simple carbs. The muscles need to store glycogen fast to recover, and that comes from sugar. Meanwhile, the proteins will burn more slowly, for longer term muscle growth.

Every wellness expert says regular exercise is critical to keeping your body young. And by eating the right foods at the right time, you give your body the best tools for making the most of your exercise practice.

36 Arrested in Medicare Fraud Sting

In the most peculiar of these operations, a medical center in Brooklyn scammed $72 million from Medicare by submitting bogus charges for physical therapy for elderly Russian immigrants. Patients who sold the office their Medicare numbers were paid by a man in a back-room who did nothing but bribe patients all day. Authorities say the “kick back room” was decorated with posters resembling Russian propaganda, which read in Russian “Don’t Gossip” and “Be on the lookout: In these days, the walls talk.”

Sebelius and Holder commented at the healthcare fraud prevention summit in Miami that these busts are an important step toward conquering the larger problem of fraud which has seriously impacted the system in recent years. Lately, schemes have become more sophisticated. In the past, fraudsters (usually clinic owners) would bill Medicare multiple times for the same piece of medical equipment which no patient ever received. Today, schemes involve a more complex web of doctors, patients, clinic owners, and sometimes violent criminals. Mobsters and violent offenders have started getting in on the Medicare fraud action because they find it more lucrative and with less severe criminal penalties than other offenses like drug or gun trafficking.

Eliminating an estimated $60-90 billion per year in Medicare fraud is a key component of President Obama’s plan to pay for healthcare reform. In order to accomplish this, federal authorities have promised more man power and funding and are using new technologies to keep up with criminals. It used to take ninety days before the feds detected a scam, by which point criminals had usually slipped away with millions of dollars. Now, authorities monitor billing data in real time allows them to catch a scam almost immediately.

The most problematic area for authorities continues to be Miami, which has long been the epicenter of Medicare-related fraud. For example, according to a federal report Miami-Dade county received about $520 million from Medicare in home health payments in 2008. That’s more than the rest of the country received combined, even though Miami-Dade contains just 2% of patients eligible for those benefits. In 2007, authorities launched a strike force in the area to address this growing problem. The program which started there has expanded to seven cities around the country and has resulted in over 720 indictments for those who’ve defrauded Medicare for more than $1.6 billion.

Medicare Fraud Identity Theft

One issue plaguing the Medicare reforms is Medicare fraud. Every year, both seniors and the government lose quality health care and billions of dollars to corrupt providers.  Medicare fraud isn’t new (see my previous blogs on fraud and scams), but as the new health care reforms have passed, fraud has been in the spotlight. Medicare fraud affects everyone, from the government to seniors to taxpayers.

Cutting costs for health care is integral to health care reform. According to the United States government, taxpayers lose over 60 billion dollars every year due to Medicare fraud.  The government uses taxpayer money to finance Medicare, so when people abuse the system, it is the taxpayers who pay the price.

South Florida is the hotbed of these schemes, full of phantom pharmacies and providers, where criminals can earn tremendous amounts of money by cheating the government. Scammers sometimes purchase businesses like pharmacies, along with Medicare licenses and patient records, and use that information to charge Medicare for drugs and other services. According to a report by ABC news, one man’s Medicare card was used to purchase two prosthetic legs—even though the man had both of his legs, Medicare was slow to respond. Because Medicare moves very slowly, even when dealing with something like fraud, it is easy for con men to get away with their crimes.

Con men and fraudsters aren’t the only ones to participate in Medicare fraud schemes. Some corrupt health care providers overcharge Medicare for certain services that may or may have been performed improperly. Not only does this swindle the government out of millions of dollars, but also can harm the health of Medicare beneficiaries.  Most doctors and other providers are not involved in any of these scams, but the minority who do fraudulently charge Medicare waste government cash and harm senior health.

Preventing Medicare fraud could save the government—and taxpayers—billions of dollars annually, making it imperative to crack down on scammers and corrupt providers.  In the current system, responses to fraud are often slow and cumbersome, with little action taken. When Medicare cracked down on fraudulent equipment sales in South Florida, Medicare durable medical equipment claims dropped by $1.76 billion. By making more of an effort to combat fraud, it will be possible to save billions of dollars.

Recently the Department of Health and Human Services proposed that individual workers found responsible for Medicare fraud should be removed from the Medicare program.  Currently, only people who are still working for a company convicted of Medicare fraud can be excluded from the program, so employees can leave the company in order to evade exclusion.  Two Representatives from Florida proposed legislation that cracks down on individual executives, preventing them from working with Medicare after they have been convicted.

President Obama plans to sign a memo that would create a “do not fraud” list to combat Medicare fraud.  Consequently, the government would not send payments to deceased people, suspended contractors, or other delinquents to cut down on fraudulent payments. According to the Washington Post, within a three year time span, CMS sent approximately $182 million to dead people. CMS will use an online tool that will detect fraud, and provide more comprehensive background tests on providers, hoping to cut down on fake payments.

In general, I feel that the crackdown on such scams will be beneficial to the Medicare system. By preventing employees responsible for fraud from again working with Medicare, and keeping more detailed records of payments and providers, the government can save billions of dollars that will be better used elsewhere.  Hopefully these measures will improve the current health care environment in the United States.

Medicare fraud is among the most common types of health care fraud. The Obama administration has requested a funding increase in an effort to cut down the Medicare fraud. These efforts have been successful in the Miami area, which has the highest rates of both Medicare fraud and prosecutions.

Recently, the fraud teams have been set up in cities like Detroit and Brooklyn, area’s where Medicare fraud was starting to turn up more. Many of those cases were developed by the same Miami criminals who were looking to move to an area where there was less crackdown and scrutiny.

The schemes are constantly changing, however, making catching those involved difficult. One of the first popular scams was based on durable medical equipment like wheelchairs and walkers. Then HIV infusion clinics and home health care were targeted. The enforcement teams are often left simply trying to play catch up with the constantly changing schemes and locations.

It is very important to make sure you are using a legitimate carrier for your health plan and a reliable source for your health care needs. This is why choosing a plan is such an important decision. By going though MedicareSolutions.com you know you can trust your plan, we only represent the best rated carriers. You can be sure that any plan you buy through us is a genuine plan. You can call our representatives at 800-328-7305.

NPR – Miami Serves As Model In Medicare Fraud Crackdown

And if seniors aren’t already working, some who had retired early are finding themselves forced back to work. Due to high unemployment rates, it is an extremely challenging time to find a job or get back into the work force. Unemployment rates for seniors looking for work jumped from 6.1% in May to 6.8% in June.

“A lot of people who thought their funds would carry them into their golden years are being forced to work,” said Ford Myers, President of Career Potential, LLC, a career consulting firm based in Pennsylvania.

Nearly 10% of the country’s population is unemployed. Issues like age discrimination resume gaps, and out of date skills can keep seniors from finding jobs or keeping their jobs. Cynthia Shapiro, a career coach, suggests going back to school and obtaining a higher degree such as a master’s degree. Another option is to show that your years of experience can make you a good mentor or put you into a position of higher responsibility.