Colorado’s Medicaid authority terminated its contract with one of many state’s largest transportation suppliers late Wednesday, capping almost every week of suspensions, lawsuits and uncertainty.
Officers informed MedRide, which offers rides to and from medical appointments for Medicaid sufferers, that the corporate’s contract was being terminated as a result of it allegedly “jeopardized (the general public’s) well being, security and welfare.” Officers accused the corporate of failing to adjust to transportation necessities — enacted partly after a sprawling fraud scheme was recognized involving transportation suppliers within the Medicaid program 18 months in the past — and of submitting claims that weren’t reputable.
Amongst different points, the state Division of Well being Care Coverage and Financing — which oversees Medicaid — wrote that MedRide had submitted claims for rides involving “unaccompanied minors, claims for mileage that didn’t match the documented mileage and claims with no corresponding medical appointment,” in addition to journeys with multiple passenger. Hundreds of different rides allegedly lacked correct documentation.
“It’s completely our goal that we’re guaranteeing that folks have protected entry to rides by the (non-emergency transportation) program,” Adela Flores-Brennan, the state’s Medicaid director, mentioned in an interview Wednesday. “It’s with that in thoughts that we made this resolution.”
In an announcement, MedRide officers mentioned they have been interesting the termination resolution and accused the division — referred to as HCPF — of failing to work with the corporate because it sought to come back into compliance. The corporate supplied greater than 375,000 rides final yr, largely in rural Colorado.
If the state “could be prepared to sit down down with us, we might have this all resolved inside 24 hours,” Greg Harriman, MedRide’s proprietor and president, mentioned. “The longer this goes on, the longer Medicaid sufferers are denied entry to psychological well being providers and life-saving therapies.”
HCPF suspended MedRide late final week after accusing the corporate of partaking in fraud, solely to reverse that call Monday after MedRide requested a decide to dam the suspension.
Flores-Brennan mentioned the company dropped the suspension due to “conflicting provisions” in state regulation, including that Medicaid was nonetheless involved MedRide doubtlessly engaged in fraud.
The corporate has denied that allegation.
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