Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Fla., Gov. Scott Orders Hospital Audits To Ensure Hospitals Aren't Overcharging For Medicaid Patients
Playing hardball with Florida hospitals over their rising profits and growing reliance on government funding, Gov. Rick Scott on Monday revealed that he has ordered state regulators to audit 129 hospitals to ensure they are not overcharging for patients who have Medicaid, the public health insurance program for low-income people. Scott’s office disclosed the number of audits — some of which are under way, others pending, and still more to be conducted at random — in a letter from the governor to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Scott first ordered the audits on Aug. 3, two days after a state-imposed deadline for hospitals and health plans to certify that their business contracts did not exceed the statutory limit. (Chang, 8/24)
Another 100 Florida hospitals — 17 of which are in the Tampa Bay area — will be audited by the state to determine whether they're receiving more in Medicaid payments than legally allowed, Gov. Rick Scott said Monday. They join 29 hospitals already being audited for failing to provide information about their Medicaid contracts to the state Agency for Health Care Administration before Aug. 1. Those added Monday responded on time. But in a letter to state Attorney General Pam Bondi, Scott said they still needed to be audited "because of the nature of the explanations they provided in their responses." (McGrory, 8/24)
Gov. Rick Scott is ordering state health officials to audit more than 100 hospitals as part of his ongoing battle with hospitals, which he says are driving up Medicaid costs. The state had asked hospitals and insurers to prove that their contracts aren't charging rates higher than 120 percent of the Medicaid rate. But Scott said roughly 130 hospitals didn't comply and would be audited. The Republican governor also said in a statement Monday that all hospitals would be randomly audited. (8/25)
Florida clinics feel a pinch, too -
On Friday morning, Lilia Pineiro was finishing up an appointment for lab tests and an ultrasound to keep her diabetes and high blood pressure in check — all at no cost to her. The round-faced 62-year-old, originally from Mexico, makes about $200 a week cleaning houses, so she can’t afford health insurance. But for the past five years, she’s managed to obtain regular treatment from the Light of the World Clinic in Oakland Park. (Adams, 8/24)
