Two men indicted in Chicago for $10M Medicare fraud; two-thirds of U.S. adults took medications this week; cognitive speed training and dementia risk – Morning Medical Update

Two men indicted in Chicago in $10M Medicare fraud scheme

Federal prosecutors in Chicago have indicted two men in an alleged $10 million Medicare and private insurance fraud scheme involving nominee-owned labs and durable medical equipment companies. According to the indictment, 31-year-old Burhan Mirza, who resided in Pakistan, and 48-year-old Kashif Iqbal, a Pakistani-native who resided in Lavon, Texas, submitted claims for services that were never provided and laundered proceeds overseas. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges the pair used stolen personal and provider information to bill for bogus lab tests and medical equipment through shell companies, then funneled the fraud proceeds to Pakistan.

Mirza faces 12 counts of health care fraud and five counts of money laundering, while Iqbal is charged with 12 counts of health care fraud, six counts of money laundering and one count of making false statements. Three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults took medication this week

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults reported taking at least one medication — prescription or over the counter (OTC) — in the past week, according to a new JAMA Network Open study analyzing 2023–2024 survey data from more than 21,000 people. About 46% reported using prescription drugs and a similar share used OTC medications, with use increasing by age and higher among women. Roughly 16% of adults said they were taking five or more medications at once. The most commonly used drugs were acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, and six of the top 10 medications were available over the counter.

Cognitive speed training tied to slower dementia risk

A long-running study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that a brief course of computerized “speed of processing” cognitive training in adults 65 and older may delay dementia diagnosis for years. Among 2,021 participants followed for two decades, those who completed adaptive visual speed training — and received booster sessions — had a 25% lower rate of Alzheimer’s and related dementia diagnoses based on Medicare claims. Memory and reasoning training did not show the same benefit.