Jawonio: Medicaid Audits Abusive To Legitimate Providers

To The Editor,

Jawonio, a disability services provider with locations in Rockland and Westchester County is asking the community for help.  For those of you who have loved ones, family, friends or neighbors who receive Medicaid funding from an agency like ours, this one's for you!

We are asking all State Legislators to make comprehensive OMIG (Office of Medicaid Inspector General) reform a top priority during budget negotiations.  It is critical for every Senate and Assembly office to receive phone calls from constituents who are familiar with or are served by Medicaid providers.

Senate Switchboard: 518-455-2800

Assembly Switchboard: 518-455-4100

Tell them you are calling about Assembly bill 10630-C sponsored by Assemblyman Gottfried (or Senate bill S7821-A sponsored by Senator Craig Johnson). 

This bill is important and we strongly support the state's efforts to find and prosecute Medicaid fraud. 

But audits conducted by the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General have become abusive to honest providers serving the legitimate needs of the Medicaid population, and we urgently need relief.

• This bill gives providers constitutionally protected rights of due process and at the same time keeps intact the state's authority to find and prosecute cases of fraud.  OMIG's audit procedures are abusive and unfair to honest providers.  No government agency should be allowed to withhold money until the audit result is final except in cases of fraud.  Also OMIG uses minor technicalities as the basis of huge monetary penalties that threaten to close down honest providers. This is no exaggeration.  
• Further, OMIG should not be allowed to re-interpret other agencies' regulations.  Providers who comply with agency regulations should not be penalized by another.  Unless the Legislature takes action, Medicaid recipients could lose services they need.
• Medicaid providers large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit, from every region of the state and representing a wide variety of services are calling on Legislative Leaders to enact comprehensive OMIG audit reform in the budget.   
   
  At Jawonio, we welcome audits. As our CEO Jill Warner has said many times: "…audits can be an opportunity to improve programs and services for our consumers which is a good thing."

 
A plea to all of our Legislators and advocates for people with disabilities, please catch us doing something right, reward quality, reward innovation, reward compliance. For those who are in the wrong, find them and prosecute the fraud—but don't let good agencies and great staff like ours pay the price for those who are in the wrong. The most vulnerable citizens, those with disabilities and special needs deserve better.

If you would like to volunteer and help support Jawonio's advocacy efforts, please call 708.2000.

Diana Hess 
New City 
Chief Communications Officer, Jawonio