Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is taking a bold new step in combating fraud in the home care industry: phasing out up to 13,000 independent providers who bill Medicaid for in-home care, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
The proposal, part of Kasich’s budget plan, aims to phase out thousands of providers over a four-year period through a two-step approach:
“No new independent providers would be allowed to bill Ohio Medicaid for home care services beginning in July 2016. And with few exceptions, only Ohio’s 800 Medicare-certified home health care agencies and other accredited agencies would be able to do so as of July 2019,” The Dispatch reports.
Additionally, Kasich’s plan would authorize an “electronic visit verification” system, which could involve the use of GPS tracking, biometrics or staff call-ins to ensure visits occur in order to reduce fraud. Such a system would be implemented by July 2016.
If Kasich’s proposal gets the nod, it could save the state $9.5 million over the course of two years by preventing home care fraud.
To read the full Columbus Dispatch story, click here.
Written by Emily Study
