Briefs

Boston provider pays in fraud case BOSTON - A medical equipment company has agreed to pay a $175,000 fine as part of a civil settlement deal reached with the state attorney general's office, the Associated Press reported. All American Home Aid agreed to pay restitution to settle claims it overcharged the state Medicaid program for back supports, catheters and other medical equipment and supplies. All American did not admit or deny the allegations in the settlement. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to allow the state Division of Medical Assistance to audit documents including invoices, delivery slips and medical documentation over the next two years. Steroid inhalers may cause cataracts LONDON - Thousands of asthma patients may be at risk of partial blindness after using steroid inhalers over long periods of time, according to a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Inhaled steroids increased the risk of cataracts by up to 70% in people over the age of 40, researchers found. But that side effect had to be weighed against the undoubted benefits of the inhalers. The study urged doctors to prescribe the lowest possible doses to older patients. Home Care Supply captures Meridian BEAUMONT, Texas - Home Care Supply recently acquired Meridian Health Services of Clearwater, Fla. Meridian's annual revenue of more than $1.5 million will complement HCS's existing Clearwater location, Todd Christopher, CEO of HCS, said. HCS is the largest privately held HME company in the U.S., with 60 locations in 13 states.