WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Connecticut men earn national award for fraud-busting program (Manchester-AP) _ Five Connecticut men developed a computer program that has sniffed out $11 million in Medicare fraud, and their efforts have earned them a national award and a place in history. "It's incredible," said Dennis Perlot, of Tolland, who along with four others helped design LOLA Plus. The program recently received a 1999 Computerworld Smithsonian Award. "When we were first notified, I think we were all shocked," he said. LOLA Plus is a computer data "warehouse" and query tool that links Medicare fraud analysts to information related to billions of dollars in payments. The system alerts users to data abnormalities. Joining Perlot in developing the program were Lance Tatro, of Wethersfield, Gene Ralph of Colchester, John Koczon of Southington, and Jim Bordeaux of Meriden. Most of the men have insurance company links. The federal government financed their work, under a directive from the Health Care Financing Administration. The program, two years in the making, was completed in September 1997. "The more people that use it, the more fraud we're going to find," Tatro told the Journal Inquirer of Manchester. About 500 projects were honored during ceremonies in front of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington last month. LOLA Plus won in the government and non-profit organizations category. The team's case study was accepted into the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection of Information and Technology, a collection of computing applications and innovations established in 1989. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Connecticut men earn national award for fraud-busting program
(Manchester-AP) _ Five Connecticut men developed a computer program that has sniffed out $11 million in Medicare fraud, and their efforts have earned them a national award and a place in history.

"It's incredible," said Dennis Perlot, of Tolland, who along with four others helped design LOLA Plus.

The program recently received a 1999 Computerworld Smithsonian Award.

"When we were first notified, I think we were all shocked," he said.

LOLA Plus is a computer data "warehouse" and query tool that links Medicare fraud analysts to information related to billions of dollars in payments. The system alerts users to data abnormalities.

Joining Perlot in developing the program were Lance Tatro, of Wethersfield, Gene Ralph of Colchester, John Koczon of Southington, and Jim Bordeaux of Meriden. Most of the men have insurance company links. The federal government financed their work, under a directive from the Health Care Financing Administration. The program, two years in the making, was completed in September 1997.

"The more people that use it, the more fraud we're going to find," Tatro told the Journal Inquirer of Manchester.

About 500 projects were honored during ceremonies in front of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington last month. LOLA Plus won in the government and non-profit organizations category.

The team's case study was accepted into the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection of Information and Technology, a collection of computing applications and innovations established in 1989.

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