DAYTON–Columbia County Hospital District Internal Billing Department recently discovered that Medicaid owed it over $1 Million under three different Medicaid Managed Care Programs. This money had been inappropriately written off by contracted vendors who had previously processed billings for the Hospital.

In August of 2018, the Hospital District brought the billing function back in house after having contractors perform this service. An administrative staff member stated four different vendors had been used in the previous five years.

After the Hospital terminated the vendor billing contracts and took the billing service back, Internal Billing staff members reviewed and audited contractor billings and discovered the inappropriate transaction cancellations with three programs, Molina, Amerigroup and Coordinated Care.

The calculated amount is approximately $1.1 million; and is an aggregated amount for the three managed care programs. Although Medicaid previously acknowledged that money is owed, subsequently Medicaid is contesting the exact amount. The same administrative staff member stated it is uncertain if the Hospital will get the entire $1.1 million.

In other business:

-Administrators participated in a multi-hospital meeting in Spokane with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rogers to discuss Federal Healthcare concerns. The Columbia County Health System is focused on the issue of 113 rural hospitals that have closed since 2010.

-Hospital staff met with the State Department of Social and Health Services (to include the Department of Health, Aging, and Long–Term Care) to discuss assisted living in Columbia County. Specific focus was given to what the daily rate would be if licenses were migrated from Skilled Nursing Home to Assisted Living Care as a way to serve more people in the communities. The State is willing to provide a higher daily rate for Assisted Living Care services under a pilot program. Newport Hospital and Health Services in Newport, Washington was the first to take advantage of this program by opening River Mountain Village and moving their nursing home residents there.

-Columbia County Health System will provide behavioral health time in addition to school nurse time to Dayton School District.

-Continuing discussions with Lewiston Orthopedics, Lewiston, Id., regarding having one of their orthopedic providers available here several times a month for pre and post orthopedic consultations. They could be available for other services while here.