Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Medicaid Fraud Investigators Fall Short Of Annual Goals
On a rainy day in February three years ago, about 30 men and women recently hired by the state filed into a dull government classroom to begin a week of training for their new positions. Texas funnels a river of federal and state money — at that time $28 billion and change each year — out to doctors, dentists, labs and other medical providers to pay them for treating Medicaid patients. There is little doubt, the trainees were told, that some percentage of it is wasted, paid out by mistake or flat-out stolen by fraudulent providers. (Langford, 3/14)
The next round of contracts awarded to companies to manage health care for thousands of Missouri Medicaid recipients includes a new focus: patient wellness. Consumer wellness incentives are trending throughout the health insurance market, most notably in employer-sponsored plans. Now Missouri is getting in on the action on behalf of its roughly 400,000 managed care customers. (Shapiro, 1/15)
As a convicted killer out on supervised release, Ronald A. Vashone-Caruso couldn't drive a taxi or hold certain jobs in Colorado. But in 2013 and 2014, Vashone-Caruso ferried Medicaid patients to and from their medical appointments in his car under a state program that doesn't closely monitor its drivers. One Medicaid patient filed a complaint alleging Vashone-Caruso texted her repeatedly after driving her to the doctor, frightening her. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission licenses companies to provide drivers for the state's non-emergency medical transport program. The commission, however, does not require background checks of those drivers as it does with cabbies. (Osher, 3/15)
Ohio nursing homes could receive an $84 million increase in Medicaid payments under Gov. John Kasich’s budget plan, but many of the institutions would have to step up their game to get the additional money. Medicaid Director John McCarthy said nursing facilities would have to meet five new quality measures to receive full Medicaid reimbursement. The goals, he said, are to ensure residents are well cared for and tax dollars are well spent. (Candisky, 3/15)
