State Says SBUH Overbilling Issue Still Needs to be Fixed

A 2008 state audit that showed Stony Brook University Hospital overbilled some patients close to $3.7 million has not fully been addressed, according to a report published in Newsday.

The affected patients were customers of the Empire Plan, which covers many current and former school district employees and government workers. The services in question were delivered between 2004 and 2008, according to Newsday.

The state comptroller said in a report issued Monday that the overpayment has not been fully recovered and that SBUH also did not comply with an audit that said it needed better financial controls related to its agreement with Empire.

In a statement to Patch, a hospital representative said: "Stony Brook University Hospital cannot speak on behalf of the Office of the State Comptroller or for Empire, the principals in this audit process. What we can speak about is that the Hospital is committed to ensuring that all billings are accurate, and reimbursements valid. If any errors in payments for specific cases are identified, the Hospital will be guided by the terms of existing contracts."

Click here to read the full report from Newsday (subscription required).

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include a full statement from the hospital.