Author: Justin Lane

Today, Boehringer Ingelheim’s, manufacturer of Pradaxa, new research partner, NextBio, announced that Boehringer Ingelheim is signing a multi-year renewal agreement with NextBio. NextBio provides data infrastructures for processing genomic data in hopes of providing useful insights into the causes of disease, which may lead to cures. The partnerships between NextBio and companies like Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, etc. are potentially a dangerous preview of the research that can be expected to come. “The technologies of the future may provide useful insights but they also expose patients to potential dangers of an unprecedented level. Companies like Boehringer Ingelheim and GlaxoSmithKline...

The Department of Justice announced one of the largest settlements in the recent history for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT). Bringing a resolution to a long and devoted effort to protect taxpayers from rampant Medicare fraud, the settlement resolves claims against more than fifty-five hospitals and total over $34 million dollars. Fifty-one of the claims settled last week were brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the federal False Claims Act for facilities incorrectly charging for kyphoplasty procedures. Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can be utilized to treat spinal fractures...

Below are Ring of Fire’s top stories from the past week. Top Videos Rick Scott Strikes Deal with Private Prison Company In a recent wave of bad legislation, Gov. Rick Scott struck a multi-million dollar deal with, Corizon Inc., a private prison medical care company that is expected to cut over 1,700 workers from the existing state prison workforce. … Read more. Kentucky Puts an End to Private Prisons The State of Kentucky is withdrawing from the private sector of inmate facilities. On Tuesday, the state announced they are not renewing their contract with the privately-owned prison giant, Corrections...

Yesterday, two members of the Texas Aryan Brotherhood responded to charges of racketeering that the government had lobbied against them. Their plea: guilty. Mythili Raman, Acting Assistant Attorney General and Kenneth Magidson, attorney, announced the plea according to the Department of Justice’s release. The men, Glen Ray Millican (“Fly”) and Justin Christopher Northrup (“Ruthless”) reportedly were in agreement with the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas to commit murders, robberies, arsons, kidnappings and traffic drugs. Their club of scoundrels also regularly required members to reprimand each other and engage in ritualized initiations. The Justice Department’s efforts have resulted in the arrest...

The practice of paying hourly and wage workers using prepaid cards is growing. The New York Times reported yesterday that the practice, which had originally started small and was enduring staunch backlash, has been taken up by companies like Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, and Walgreen. These cards do little to help the workers paid through them access their wages more easily. Instead, these cards allow the banks and card providers to excise additional money from workers. Often, according to The Times, workers that are earning minimum or near-minimum wages are, after the fees are paid by the workers to access...