Two guilty in $68M adult day care fraud; air pollution tied to higher ALS risk, faster progression; no link between water fluoridation and birth weight – Morning Medical Update

Two plead guilty in $68M adult day care Medicare fraud

Two Brooklyn-based marketers pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Medicaid through a $68 million kickback scheme tied to adult day care and home health services that were not provided, federal prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the defendants paid illegal bribes to steer Medicaid recipients to Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center and Family Social Adult Day Care Center, as well as Responsible Care Staffing, a home health care fiscal intermediary, then billed the program for sham or kickback-induced services. The scheme ran from 2017 to 2024 and involved laundering proceeds through multiple business entities. The defendants — the sixth and seventh individuals, respectively, to plead guilty in this case — face up to 10 years in prison and agreed to forfeit about $1 million as part of their pleas.

Air pollution linked to higher ALS risk

Long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with a higher risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and more rapid disease progression, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Neurology. Researchers analyzing Swedish registry data found that people exposed to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide over the decade before diagnosis had a 20% to 30% higher risk of developing motor neuron disease, even at pollution levels below those seen in many countries. Higher exposure was also linked to faster motor and pulmonary decline and increased mortality after diagnosis.

No link between water fluoridation and birth weight, study says

Community water fluoridation is not associated with lower birth weight, according to a study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health published in JAMA Network Open. Analyzing more than 11 million births across 677 counties during the nationwide rollout of fluoridation from 1968 to 1988, researchers found no statistically meaningful changes in birth weight before and after communities adopted fluoridation.

“Our findings provide reassurance about the safety of community water fluoridation during pregnancy,” the researchers said. “By using a rigorous population-level design, this study contributes to the broader discussion of potential side effects of fluoride exposure and underscores the importance of strong empirical methods when evaluating large-scale public health interventions.”