Eric Holder

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) has released the hold on the nomination of Michelle Leonhart to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. That occurred after the U.S. Department of Justice assured him that the DEA would address and improve the delivery of pain medications in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

An ongoing, multistate healthcare fraud investigation has led to more than 90 individuals being accused of defrauding Medicare of more than $251 million.

President Obama is scheduled to unveil his FY 2011 federal budget proposal today. The blueprint would provide states with some additional Medicaid funding and crack down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

The Drug Enforcement Agency's efforts to combat narcotics abuse and theft in nursing homes actually negatively affect those residents and hospice care patients who need pain medications, two senators recently argued.