Brattleboro Retreat cleared of criminal wrongdoing over Medicaid billing practices
The probe was the latest in a series of state and federal inquiries into the mental health hospital's billing practices, the earliest of which dates to 2013.
The most recent investigation, conducted by the state
The mental health hospital and the state entered a memorandum of understanding that stipulates a third party must review the Retreat's billing practices. The results of the review, which will be conducted in the near future, will be shared with state officials, according to the memorandum. Further, the Retreat agreed to improve the accuracy and timeliness of its billing practices based on the findings in the report.
According to the memorandum, dated
The memorandum serves to "restore and maintain the State's confidence" in the Retreat's billing practices, according to the document.
"We wanted to make sure that an entity that provides this many important services to this many Vermonters has billing and accounting practices at an optimal level,"
The memorandum also sets general benchmarks for improving the Retreat's billing practices.
Purdy said "deficiencies and inefficiencies," the most significant of which were delayed billing and errors in Medicaid claims, were among the problems identified in the investigation. The delays and errors resulted in confusion when it came time to pay the hospital, she said.
The Retreat relies heavily on the insurance program, which is funded primarily by the federal government and run by the state. Roughly half of the 4,700 patients in the hospital's inpatient and outpatient programs in 2016 were covered by Medicaid, according to a 2017 annual report. The nonprofit facility serves Vermonters as well as patients from the
Retreat President and CEO
"Our attorney general was clearly pointing out that there was no harm to the state of Vermont Medicaid Program," he said. "So we didn't bill inappropriately. We didn't charge for something that wasn't supposed to be charged."
Problems with the Retreat's billing practices came to light when a former employee accused the hospital of fraud, Vermont Digger reported this week. The state's investigation became public in
The
In 2013, a former employee of the Retreat,
The memorandum stipulates that the Retreat will pay for the reviewer. That hiring process is underway, Josephson said Wednesday, though he didn't have an estimated cost for the service.
___
(c)2018 The Keene Sentinel (Keene, N.H.)
Visit The Keene Sentinel (Keene, N.H.) at www.sentinelsource.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
EDITORIAL: Dismantling health care: ‘Repeal and replace’ failed, but systematic undermining has taken its place
State attorney general candidate cancels event with Boca Raton developer — and felon
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News