Editors’ Top 5, Week of October 31

NAHC to File Lawsuit to Stop Pre-Claim
A national association is striking back against the “failed” Pre-Claim Review Demonstration (PCRD) with a plan to file a lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (Amy Baxter/Home Health Care News)

40% of Medicare Beneficiaries Report Having to Pay Out of Pocket for Home Medical Equipment Per Patient Hotline
When Medicare slashed funding for vital home medical equipment this summer by 50-80%, People for Quality Care saw an uptick in the number of callers having difficulty getting their needed equipment, services, and supplies. (People for Quality Care)

Hospitals installed more sinks to stop infections. The sinks can make the problem worse
In a devilish case of unintended consequences, sinks have been linked to a number of outbreaks of serious infections in hospitals from Baltimore to Shanghai and many places in between in recent years. (Helen Branswell/Stat)

Crackdown on Medicare Fraud Is Producing Some Impressive Results
In the latest chapter of the Obama administration’s crackdown on Medicare fraud, U.S. customs officials arrested a woman at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport last week who is accused of taking part in one of the biggest Medicare fraud schemes in history. (Eric Pianin/The Fiscal Times)

Getting Dental Care Can Be A Challenge For People With Disabilities
People with disabilities are often insured through Medicaid, the federal health care program for the poor and disabled. The program doesn’t always pay for dental care, and when it does, those payments often fall short of the costs. (Alison Kodjak/NPR Health Shots)