$330 Million Medicaid Settlement?
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Michelle you are correct. This serious situation is compounded by Doctors closing their offices.
not so in Ellsworth...note obvious accounting for State's debt:
Written by Jennifer Osborn SHORTER LINK SOURCE HERE
Thursday, October 05, 2006
ELLSWORTH — Maine Coast Memorial Hospital ended the 2006 fiscal year more than $1 million in the black....Bob Merrill, treasurer of the hospital’s board of trustees, reported that the hospital had a final gain from operations totaling $1,272,345.
A “great achievement†is how Merrill described the gain, considering the state owes the hospital $7.2 million in Medicaid payments from the past three years.
Kevin Sedgwick, the hospital’s vice president of finance, said the hospital records the money due from the state as a receivable.
“It’s an accounting mechanism to recognize the state’s legal obligation,†Sedgwick said.
The hospital wrote off $5.2 million in bad debt and free medical care over the past year, Merrill said.
If you see (state Sen.) Dennis Damon, tell him to give me a call,†said Jones, making the crowd laugh.
“It gets worse every month at the rate of $200,000 a month,†Jones said. This represents about two days of payroll for the hospital each month, he said.
Creative Math for Dummies
From the Office of Governor Baldacci to your kitchen table
Is the Taxpayer Bill of Rights forcing the governor to pay his bad debt?
Hmmmmmmm?
Baldacci, hospitals outline Medicaid settlement deal
Thursday, October 12, 2006
AUGUSTA - Gov. John Baldacci, addressing an issue that has occasionally dogged his Democratic re-election bid, and the Maine Hospital Association, which has not always been his best friend, announced an agreement Wednesday designed to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars owed to hospitals for services they rendered to Medicaid patients.
If the governor is able to follow through on his pledge, the deal could salve a longstanding financial sore point for the state and its hospitals.
Anything else out there on the Federal threat to not provide the matching Medicaid funds as a penalty for the incompetence of the Baldacci administration -- the computer SNAFU as well as a hundred million or so they lost and simply cannot find?
And why isn't this also front page news???
Anything else out there on the Federal threat to not provide the matching Medicaid funds as a penalty for the incompetence of the Baldacci administration -- the computer SNAFU as well as a hundred million or so they lost and simply cannot find?
And why isn't this also front page news???
Our objective was to determine whether the State agency had effective controls to ensure that claims processed and adjudicated through the Maine Claims Management System (MECMS) from January 21, 2005, through December 31, 2005, were in compliance with Medicaid requirements. We found the State agency did not establish effective controls to ensure that Medicaid claims were processed correctly and paid appropriately, and that all claim-related expenditures were reported accurately for Federal reimbursement.
We recommended the State agency reprocess all claims processed through MECMS after the CMS certifies the system; continue to reconcile interim payments; maintain supporting documentation; continue to ensure all MECMS claims processing and reporting controls are implemented; ensure that MECMS reporting controls adequately identify overpayments related to third party liability and over-utilization of services; ensure that all overpayments are reported within 60 days of discovery; and submit quarterly data from its Medicaid Statistical Information System to CMS after reprocessing the claims. The State agency generally concurred with our recommendations except for the recommendation to reprocess all claims after CMS certifies the system.
"Review of The Maine Claims Management System," (A-01-05-00007)
August 21, 2006 - 20 pages
gmitchell~ GREAT FIND!
That is a tall order for this administration. I predict dismal failure.
Given Fearless Leader Baldacci's abysmal record (any REAL wins? I can't think of very many!), Paul, you make a very safe prediction!
Steven Michaud, President of Maine Hospital Association speaking on WLOB’s “Morning News†program with Ray Richardson/Ted Talbot, 10/12/06
“We’ve been, since the summer, trying to get a plan for getting†money owed Maine hospitals “resolved in a timely way. We are owed, because of the Medicaid program, $550 million in state and federal money. In the next Maine biennial budget that’s the money coming due. The current year underpayment is about $100 million.â€
This agreement “is huge for us. It deals with the cash flow problems out there. [This represents hospital] earned and spent money.
“The biennial budget adopted by the Legislature next year needs to contain at least the first two years of this agreement in order for us to see a dime. Our work is to make sure, whoever gets elected [as governor and to the Legislature that] this is the #1 priority for next year.
“For [the Maine Hospital Association] it’s just over a three-year agreement - which is huge for us. [Among MHA members] there’s overwhelming hope, support, [but] recognizing that the work’s just begun. This [agreement] is a huge step but now we have to get it implemented.â€
#####
MHA Download: Key Aspects of the Agreement
MHA Letter to Legislators re: Agreement
http://www.themha.org/press/Legislative%20candidate%20letter.htm
MHA Legislative Pledge to Support the Agreement
http://www.themha.org/press/Candidatepledges.htm
This [agreement] is a huge step but now we have to get it implemented.â€
In other words, it's nice we have an agreement, now we just need to find the money to pay for it.
Was this part of the plea bargain deal with the devil? I understand these are being mailed to all legislative candidates. Think Baldacci will sign it?
Legislative Candidate
Pledge to Support Maine's Hospitals
I pledge, that if elected, I will support the negotiated three-year MaineCare Payment Agreement with Maine's community hospitals which:
Budgets $551 million state and federal ($204 million in state general funds) over the next three years to:
Fix the cash flow crisis at Maine hospitals by budgeting an additional $221 million, effective 7/1/07, for MaineCare hospital payments to pay hospitals in a timely manner for current MaineCare patients, and
Pay, over the next three years, $330 million in past debt owed to Maine's hospitals for care provided to MaineCare patients since 2003.
If the voters BUY this one were all done.
Baldacci to Hospitals:
"And as security for this agreement, you can have this very nice bridge over the Piscataquis River!"
More devious than a huckster selling the Brooklyn Bridge or ice cubes to eskimos! Is it no small coincidence that the Greatest Show on Earth is coming to town????!!!! :roll: :roll: :roll:
P.T. Barnum himself would blush at the slight of hand from the Demokratiks and their Titular Head!
Yes indeed ladies and gentlemen, "THERE'S A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE!"
cover_maine wrote:Anything else out there on the Federal threat to not provide the matching Medicaid funds as a penalty for the incompetence of the Baldacci administration -- the computer SNAFU as well as a hundred million or so they lost and simply cannot find?
And why isn't this also front page news???
Our objective was to determine whether the State agency had effective controls to ensure that claims processed and adjudicated through the Maine Claims Management System (MECMS) from January 21, 2005, through December 31, 2005, were in compliance with Medicaid requirements. We found the State agency did not establish effective controls to ensure that Medicaid claims were processed correctly and paid appropriately, and that all claim-related expenditures were reported accurately for Federal reimbursement.
"Review of The Maine Claims Management System," (A-01-05-00007)
August 21, 2006 - 20 pages
In other words, even if the Legislature met yesterday and found the hundred million plus that is the State of Maine's share of the hospital debt, there is absolutely NO assurance that the Federal Government will pony up matching funds due to poor management during the entire year of 2005 -- that's more incompetence under the Baldacci administration!!!
WOODCOCK FOR GOVERNOR!
Having the legislature come back to special session would only be grandstanding at great expense to the taxpayer.
State Medicaid deal must stand, no matter what
Friday, October 20, 2006
In this election horse race, the Maine Hospital Association has plunked down its last $2 and is hoping for the best. Whether the landmark settlement to repay millions from Medicaid succeeds will be determined by candidates, and voters, during this taut homestretch toward Election Day.
Next to the campaigns, the MHA has the most to lose, or gain, from the gubernatorial race and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights referendum. Last week, the MHA and the Baldacci administration agreed on a schedule to pay $551 million in Medicaid reimbursement owed to state hospitals.
Legislative Candidate
Pledge to Support Maine's Hospitals
I pledge, that if elected, ...
Pay, over the next three years, $330 million in past debt owed to Maine's hospitals for care provided to MaineCare patients since 2003.
Wasn't Baldacci at one time trying to tell us he "inherited" this debt and that it went much further back than his term? Is this another case of the Dems lying? Or is this from a Republican? Either way, does anyone know what date range we are going to be paying?
A regime change, or TABOR's enactment, could find this agreement torn up like a losing stub. Sen. Peggy Rotundo of Lewiston, chairwoman of the Legislature's appropriations committee,
A regine change would be the best thing that could happen to the hospitals.
Hmmm.. let's see.
The hospitals reach a payment agreement with Baldacci. Then they come out in opposition to LD1. Baldacci has yet to pledge to not raise broad based taxes this time around.
If TABOR fails I wonder what is going to happen? I wonder how he can possibly fix the hole in the budget right after the voters rejected putting additional limits on raising taxes...
Its so easy, even a nascarfan can figure it out.
Political Gamesmanship
Thursday, October 19, 2006
When it comes to elections, the power of the incumbent often can’t be overstated. Last week’s announcement by Governor John Baldacci that he has, at long last, reached an agreement with the Maine Hospital Association to pay more than $300 million in Medicaid debt owed to Maine hopsitals was a shining example.
Baldacci and legislative Democrats have had four years in which to come to such an agreement with the hopsitals, Now, with an election in which the Governor is facing challenges from several other candidates less than a month away, he has suddenly solved the problem. Pardon us if we are more than a little skeptical.
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My understanding is that there is a physical list of rural hospitals slated for closure. This list was first spoken about to us more than a year ago, and by some extremely authoritative people.
Millinocket Regional Hospital was at a disadvantage to begin with, since after the mill went bankrupt, the workers who thought they had their insurance paid up were shocked to find that their insurance had NOT been paid up. MRH was even more shocked to discover the same, and ended up very close to closing at that time.
This years-long dalliance on the part of the Governor, coupled with the list of projected closures, are more than worrisome for those of us in rural Maine.