Trending on Tuesday - July 19, 2011

1.    AnnaLynne McCord
2.    So You Think You Can Dance' host Cat Deeley talks first Emmy nomination --  and celebratory conga line?
3.   Systems designed to catch billions of dollars in Medicare, Medicaid fraud inadequate
4.    Best Credit Cards for Job Seekers
5.    Miracle of the Day - Behold I am with you even unto the end       of    the earth.

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AnnaLynne McCord
The "90210" star may have a new man. Access Hollywood spotted the actress, who turns 24 on Saturday, with "Prison Break" alum Dominic Purcell. The two were holding hands on the "91210" set during McCord's break from filming. The stunner previously dated "Twilight" hunk Kellan Lutz.




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'So You Think You Can Dance' host Cat Deeley talks first Emmy nomination -- and celebratory conga line?
“I know I should pretend to be a lot cooler than I am, but inside there’s a screaming teenage girl just dying to get out,” Cat Deeley tells EW. The feeling is mutual. The host of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance earned her first Emmy nomination after years of being snubbed (something fans – and EW – have been lamenting since the category was introduced in 2008). “‘Ohmygod, you’ve done it!’” she says her publicist told her on the phone this morning. “I’ve got a couple of friends staying with me at the moment, so everyone was there in pajamas with giant hair and slightly sleepy eyes but completely delighted and sharing in the glee of it all,” Deeley says. “It was a fun morning. Because I style myself for the show, I had to literally throw everything into a bag and then come to the show. It’s been very hectic, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else to celebrate it really.”

Having a show tonight — during which we’ll find out Season 8's Top 10 dancers and their new all-star partners — does present one problem. “There’s bottles of champagne that have been delivered to rooms, but no corks have actually been popped just yet,” Deeley says. “We are a live show, and we ended up snogging Mary Murphy last week without the help of champagne, so god only knows what I’d have to deal with tonight if those corks start going too soon.” She won’t get to celebrate too heavily after tonight’s show either — she’s got to go home and learn lines for the cameo she’s filming tomorrow for Showtime’s Don Cheadle series House of Lies.

Ask Deeley what she did differently last season to finally nab the nomination, and she’s at a loss. But she won’t let the recognition go to her head, which she proved at 5:45 a.m. this morning when her boss at Fox, Mike Darnell, called to congratulate her. “We get on really well, but it’s normally by trading insults almost to the point of being offensively rude, but we love it,” she says. “So he gets on the phone, ‘Ohmygoodness, it’s so great. It’s so amazing. I can’t believe it. It’s so well-deserved. And it’s long pass time.’ And I’m just like, ‘Okay, stop. I find this really weird that you’re being so nice to me, and I’m not happy with it. I’m incredibly uncomfortable with it.’ And he’s like, ‘Okay, well how about this then: How come it only took you seven years?’ I’m like, ‘Okay, you s—. Get lost.’”

“I know I should pretend to be a lot cooler than I am, but inside there’s a screaming teenage girl just dying to get out,” Cat Deeley tells EW. The feeling is mutual. The host of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance earned her first Emmy nomination after years of being snubbed (something fans – and EW – have been lamenting since the category was introduced in 2008). “‘Ohmygod, you’ve done it!’” she says her publicist told her on the phone this morning. “I’ve got a couple of friends staying with me at the moment, so everyone was there in pajamas with giant hair and slightly sleepy eyes but completely delighted and sharing in the glee of it all,” Deeley says. “It was a fun morning. Because I style myself for the show, I had to literally throw everything into a bag and then come to the show. It’s been very hectic, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else to celebrate it really.”

Having a show tonight — during which we’ll find out Season 8's Top 10 dancers and their new all-star partners — does present one problem. “There’s bottles of champagne that have been delivered to rooms, but no corks have actually been popped just yet,” Deeley says. “We are a live show, and we ended up snogging Mary Murphy last week without the help of champagne, so god only knows what I’d have to deal with tonight if those corks start going too soon.” She won’t get to celebrate too heavily after tonight’s show either — she’s got to go home and learn lines for the cameo she’s filming tomorrow for Showtime’s Don Cheadle series House of Lies.

Ask Deeley what she did differently last season to finally nab the nomination, and she’s at a loss. But she won’t let the recognition go to her head, which she proved at 5:45 a.m. this morning when her boss at Fox, Mike Darnell, called to congratulate her. “We get on really well, but it’s normally by trading insults almost to the point of being offensively rude, but we love it,” she says. “So he gets on the phone, ‘Ohmygoodness, it’s so great. It’s so amazing. I can’t believe it. It’s so well-deserved. And it’s long pass time.’ And I’m just like, ‘Okay, stop. I find this really weird that you’re being so nice to me, and I’m not happy with it. I’m incredibly uncomfortable with it.’ And he’s like, ‘Okay, well how about this then: How come it only took you seven years?’ I’m like, ‘Okay, you s—. Get lost.’”



Deeley won’t reveal if the show has something special planned for her on-air tonight. “Maybe they might throw something at me,” she guesses. We suspect she’s right, especially after guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) gave her a public endorsement on last night’s show — and returns tonight with an Emmy nomination himself. With So You Think You Can Dance receiving its first nod for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program and multiple choreographers being recognized as well, Deeley jokes, “We might just form one long conga chain in one giant circle and just pat each other on the back furiously.”

Looking ahead, Deeley can’t tease how fans will feel about tonight’s bottom couples because producers won’t tell her who they are. “I am a blabbermouth, and I tend to love to have a chat, so they don’t trust me with that kind of information,” she says. And while she hasn’t thought of the Emmy campaign she’ll mount to defeat category vets Jeff Probst, Phil Keoghan, Tom Bergeron, and Ryan Seacrest, she does have big plans to cash in on her Emmy nomination. “I will be coming out with a range of T-shirts, mugs, mousepads, and possibly even a rug with my face on it,” she laughs. “So if you love me or hate me, you’ve got something to wipe your feet on.”


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Report: Systems designed to catch billions of dollars in Medicare, Medicaid fraud inadequate

The federal government's systems for analyzing Medicare and Medicaid data for possible fraud are inadequate and underused, making it more difficult to detect the billions of dollars in fraudulent claims paid out each year, according to a report released Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office report said the systems don't even include Medicaid data. Furthermore, 639 analysts were supposed to have been trained to use the system — yet only 41 have been so far, it said.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — which administer the taxpayer-funded health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled — lacks plans to finish the systems projected to save $21 billion. The technology is crucial to making a dent in the $60 billion to $90 billion in fraudulent claims paid out each year.

"I'm looking forward to hearing, someday, about major fraud scams discovered as a direct result of this integrated repository and the use of creative pattern recognition techniques implemented on top of it. Until we hear that story, the public is not getting value for money from these investments," said Malcolm Sparrow, a health care fraud expert at Harvard University.

The current antiquated database is a piecemeal system with data stored in disparate systems, meaning employees don't have access to all data from all programs.

Each state has its own systems with very limited access to Medicare or national Medicaid data. But CMS does not have set plans to share access with the states, despite an earlier commitment to do so starting in 2010, according to the report.

The agency plans to integrate the missing Medicaid data by 2014 and is "very aggressive schedule" to train hundreds of other analysts on the program, said Dr. Peter Budetti, CMS deputy administrator and director for program integrity. He declined to say exactly when the analysts would be trained at a hearing Tuesday to discuss the role of technology in health care fraud.

The new $150 million systems, which went live in 2009, are intended be a one-stop storage for all data, accessible by all CMS staff and its contractors, law enforcement and state agencies.

But crucial pieces are still missing — including so-called "share systems data" that would help analysts identify and prevent payment of fraudulent claims, according to the report.

The agency planned to include this by 2008, but funding for the software to implement the system was delayed. CMS is now aiming for November 2011, the report said.

"To achieve the maximum taxpayer savings, the federal government needs to do a better job of getting this new technology into the hands of oversight staff working to curb the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars lost to waste and fraud," Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said at hearing held at Tuesday's hearing.

Medicare is one of the largest payer systems in the world, with contractors processing about 4.5 million claims per workday. For decades, CMS has operated under a pay and chase system, paying the claims quickly so legitimate medical providers can operate and following up on suspicious claims afterward. But as Medicare fraud has morphed into sophisticated scams, access to data showing what claims are being paid in real time has become more critical. By the time officials process the scams, crooks have already fled with the money.

"CMS takes our responsibility to fight health care fraud seriously. As we work to improve these existing systems, we are implementing advanced new technologies to further enhance our efforts to identify potential fraud before payments are made," CMS spokesman Brian Cook said.

On July 1, CMS implemented a new technology program, which is not included in the report. The agency is trying to improve prevention with screening technology similar to what's widely used by credit card companies to keep fraudulent claims from being paid in the first place. Medicare has awarded an initial $77 million contract for that system.

But when pushed by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., on when the agency would use that technology to actually stop paying suspicious claims, Budetti waivered.

"We did not set this up to automatically stop payments on day one," Budetti said.

He later estimated within a year, but said it would likely be sooner.

"I'm not going to give you an exact date because we're going through this process for the first time," Budetti said. "This is the whole purpose of doing it. We want to stop those payments before they go out the door."



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Best Credit Cards for Job Seekers

Even as economists debate whether the U.S. could experience a double-dip recession, unemployed and underemployed Americans agree on one thing: looking for work can get expensive. Fortunately, the best credit cards offer ways that you can actually save money during your job hunt, as long as you use them responsibly.

Best credit card for the all-important interview outfit:


In a recent interview, New York style adviser Allison Berlin told CBS News that few job seekers need to spend more than $500 on their core interview outfit. For women, a simple sheath dress and a sharp pair of shoes will fit the bill. Men should invest in a classic wool suit.

According to experts at Virginia Tech's Career Services Center, your interview suit's designer doesn't matter nearly as much as how well it fits. Investing just $50 in custom alterations can make even an inexpensive suit or dress help you look corner-office ready.

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers special department store bonuses to help you save money on your job-hunting togs. This top-rated credit card gives you 2 percent cash back on regular department store purchases. AmEx has also partnered with online retailers to save you even more money on select sales events. There's no annual fee, and you can even qualify for up to 12 months at zero interest.

If you make the first cut and are called back for a second interview, personal finance expert Barbara Friedberg suggests scanning department stores for clearance-priced accessories. Jazz up your basic suit or dress with a pop of color from a sharp tie or an accent pin. If you feel overdressed during your first interview, hit the sale racks for a blazer and matching slacks or skirt.

Best credit card for basic job-hunting expenses:

Chase Freedom Visa has been rotating through a series of attractive cash-back offers all year. Right now, they're offering a $200 cash rebate if you use your new card consistently for six months. Get $100 back after spending your first $500 before month three, and get another $100 back when you spend another $1,000 before the half-year mark. This means that Chase could end up picking up half the tab for your basic interview wardrobe.

You'll also get 1 percent cash back on all your purchases, giving you something back on related expenses such as online job-search services, networking power breakfasts, resume preparation, interview coaching, and so on.

Best credit card to keep the gas tank full:

A government survey estimates that most Americans spend just under a half-hour commuting to work every day. When researchers from Gallup excluded telecommuters from a similar poll, they bumped their best guess to a 45-minute round trip to the office. Your first commute, of course, is to the job interview.

Booking multiple interviews could force you to drive in opposite directions throughout the week, so you could easily spend a chunk of your savings on gasoline. Gas rewards cards shave some of those costs, letting you earn back some of your gas money as rebates or bonus merchandise.

PenFed Platinum Cash Back Rewards can keep you moving through the job market with an unusual combination of bonus rebates and low finance charges. New cardholders can earn 5 percent cash back when they pay at the pump, paying back $1.50 on every $30 tank of gas. There is no annual fee, and its current 13.99 percent APR is among the lowest available.

Of course, PenFed reserves its best rewards credit card for applicants with excellent credit. According to the credit union's website, unemployment doesn't necessarily block you from contention, as long as your credit profile shows that you've worked hard to pay your existing bills on time.

Best credit card for out-of-town job offers:

Today's job market forces us to make hard decisions. Sometimes, the right opportunity just isn't in our own backyard. According to government statistics, about one in eight Americans told census takers that job opportunities prompted their most recent move.

And about three in 10 of us moved to stay close to family members, including spouses who had to relocate for work. Not every employer foots the bill for candidates to interview in person, making a flexible travel card essential if you intend to take your job hunt on the road.

VentureOne Rewards from Capital One offers the benefits of an airline credit card with the earnings potential of a traditional cash rebate credit card. With no annual fee, this Capital One credit card plugs cardholders into an innovative way to earn free travel.

You'll get "miles" for every dollar you spend on the card, which you can trade for flights on any airline. Use your leftover miles for hotel stays and car rental fees, and your entire out-of-town interview could cost you nothing out of pocket.

Can I get a credit card if I'm not working now?

If you're not currently employed, applying for a new credit card while you're looking for work may sound like an exercise in futility. But as long as you've stayed current with your credit card payments, lenders still want to see your application.

Consider hanging out a consulting shingle and applying as a self-employed business owner. It's a job-hunting strategy that many professionals use, anyway. Your prospective credit card issuer really cares more about whether you're a solid risk than where you intend to work.

Just make sure you don't use a new line of credit to replace your lost income. Stay frugal and focused, using your credit card's rewards to offset the cost of finding a new job--even if you're presently employed.




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Miracle of the Day - Behold I am with you even unto the end of the earth.

"We were in Lima Peru in 2006. I normally buy round trip air tickets to Chiclayo. The Holy Spirit told me to buy only a one way ticket for this flight. I did not understand what was happening but I bought the one way ticket. The Holy Ghost finally told me that with a round trip ticket I would be tied to a certain flight on a certain day. My wife an I flew to Chiclayo. Just as we were leaving there the Pastor said, please stay one more day. We felt that that was the Lord so we said OK. Our return flight would have been flight 204 that crashed in the Amazon Jungle. We flew over the crash site the next day while they were still removing bodies. We have had so many miracles in ministry it is hard to just list one of them but we know the Lord is faithful in caring for us." hostgator coupon