In New York, audit claims have been made across the state to find that health care providers have billed Medicaid for services to 287 dead patients. Already 66 providers have admitted to their mistake and patients’ mortality status at the time of service when questioned by New York’s Medicaid Inspector General James Sheehan’s office.
The Bellevue Hospital accidently billed Medicaid for the “treatment ” of a cadaver for its organs. The hospital filed a claim as if the cadaver was treated like a live person. Other instances included a physician requesting the delivery of her dead patient’s prescriptions to her office, and one deceased patient’s Medicaid card was used at three different dentist offices in a week.
The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General said, “We don’t want providers billing for dead people. ” No one can really argue with that argument but one lawyer representing a pharmacy in Greenwich Village did bring up a plausible argument in the New York Post. He said that many pharmacy’s prescriptions are sent to nursing homes on a monthly basis for Medicaid patients. There can a time period before the pharmacy is informed of the patient’s death which causes Medicaid to be billed for the services.
Miscommunication may be the greatest reason for these unsettling Medicaid claims but cost New York almost $1 million last year. Some may not believe these funds are worth fighting for but could save the state crucial money in the long term.