Association of Health Care Journalists “Misleading Coding Advice," a 12-page investigative report in Anesthesia & Pain Coder’s Pink Sheet, won the prestigious First Place Excellence in Health Care Journalism award in the trade/online/newsletter category. Written by Wendy Vogenitz, the report revealed that fraudulent insurance claims could be costing Medicare and insurers more than $67 million a year.  The Pink Sheet is one of 14 specialty coding publications published by DecisionHealth.

National Press Club The Pink Sheet’s "Misleading Coding Advice" received an Honorable Mention for Best Exclusive Newsletter from the National Press Club. In addition to revealing fraud, the report also warned physicians they could face costly audits by relying on coding advice from vendors.

Association of Business Publication Editors American Funeral Director magazine published “Katrina’s Wake,” a 32-page special section about Hurricane Katrina’s impact on the funeral service industry, when phone lines to the devastated areas were still down. The report, written by Edward J. Defort and Jen Kiernan, received a silver medal for Best Special Section in the Northeast in the American Society of Business Publication Editors 28th Awards of Excellence contest. The magazine is published by UCG’s Kates-Boylston division.

The NEPF Awards For the 25th straight year, the Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Foundation honored UCG for outstanding journalist achievement for work published in 2005. UCG has won 95 awards in the NEPA contest since 1980, more than any other company.

The 2006 first-place awards went to:

• "Case Closed," published in the December issue of American Funeral Director. The riveting tale documented the murder of a funeral home director and an intern and the subsequent revelation of the killer: a priest who actually took part in one victim's funeral. Edward J. Defort’s in-depth report won for Best Spot News or Exclusive Single-News Story.
  
  
• The exhaustive coverage in Insurance Compliance Week of the regulatory impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the insurance industry. The report, written by Alan Prochoroff of UCG’s Argosy division, won for Best Single Topic Product.
  
  
• Private Payer Answer Book, one of 10 Answer Books published by DecisionHealth. The book, which won for Best Reference Publication, was written by Nicholas Rummell, David Grant and Todd Leeuwenburgh.

Other UCG winners:

• OPIS Spot Ticker, which delivers real-time spot prices 24 hours a day, received a second place award for Best Interactive Content. The spot ticker was created for OPIS by Ben Brockwell, Jessica Nesterak, Denton Cinquegrana, Randy Lusby, Ai-Fen Lin, Jason Shelton and Billy DeMarco.
  
  
• Anesthesia & Pain Coder's Pink Sheet received third place for Best Investigative Reporting for “Misleading Coding Advice,” the groundbreaking investigative report written by Wendy Vogenitz.
  
  
• Oil Express, published by OPIS, received an honorable mention in Best Investigative Reporting. Publisher Carole Donoghue’s exposé of a disbarred lawyer who left a trail of infuriated legal officials and misled clients across the country was the 16th NEPF award won by Oil Express since its first award in 1980.
  
  
• Private Duty Insider won an honorable mention for Best Instructional Reporting for a report on how home care agencies could expand their services to babysitting. It was written by DecisionHealth executive editor Wendy Johnson.
  
  
• American Funeral Director won an honorable mention for Best Spot News for “Survivor Louisiana," a feature story about the impact of Katrina on a New Orleans funeral home. The piece was written by Kates-Boylston publisher Edward J. Defort.
  
  
• Tax Aspects of Owning a Home, a handbook targeted to tax practitioners and published by ATX/Kleinrock, received an honorable mention for Best Reference Publication. Written by Ron Newlin, the all-in-one resource covers the entire lifecycle of home ownership, from the time of purchase to the time of sale.