Bartlett Regional Hospital board approved a settlement with the federal government to reimburse Medicare and Medicaid $1.4 million.
The City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Kim Kiefer will have the final sign-off on the settlement. The settlement is with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The board approved of the settlement without objection.
The gap in payments were the result of accounting oversights. Bartlett has since hired Xtend Healthcare Advanced Revenue Services to help straighten out the hospital’s accounting.
Bartlett attorney Dick Monkman said Bartlett and the City and Borough of Juneau was able to negotiate some terms with the OIG.
“As painful as the amount is,” Monkman said, “it is the best deal that they give anybody coming in the door with self disclosure. The amount we thought we’d be billed is quite a bit higher. They are basically giving us the most favored nation status.”
Once Bartlett and Kiefer have signed the settlement, the hospital has one week to wire the money.
“We have some elaborate phone calls ahead,” Monkman said.
The board also held elections. Robert Storer is replaced as board president by Linda Thomas. Linda Thomas leaves her vice president seat to Reed Reynolds and Dr. Alex Malter takes over the secretary position from Reed Reynolds.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Note: This story has been edited to add that Medicare payments are part of the settlement.
Comments (13)
Add commentOversights?
Instead of saying they just plain screwed up, its an "oversight." But hey, its only $1.4M, an "oversight" anyone could make. I wonder how much the error would be to be called a mistake? Either way, rates will go up to cover this.
Welfare Case
Bartlett is quickly becoming the city's permanent dependent and welfare case. Nationally, most city owned hospitals are a thing of the past because of union issues, bloated administration, unprofitability, and mismanagement issues.
The city needs to begin planning for the sale of Bartlett to an outside hospital group.
No sale GJ
Selling Bartlett would be stupid in the highest order. Bartlett is self-sufficient. It is a huge economic engine for the CBJ and our ownership and appointment of their board gives us termendous leverage over how it operates. To turn itover to a private entity would kill the community's control over it and eliminate special funding that Barteltt enjoys including participation in a federal demonstration program that has given Bartlett singificantly more income that other similar facilities. Its rates would go way up, not down in the hands of a private entity. The current board of Bartlett includes some of the best and brightest of our community. They have worked hard over the last two years to make Bartlett more responsive to Juneau's needs and listen, very closely, to input from the public and the hospital's new management.
@GJSmith
fmast50 is correct the hospital is self sustaining and does not require taxpayer money to run. However, projects like the renovations that were made recently did cost the taxpayer. Although, arguably the upgrades will allow Bartlett to provide better service to us, the taxpayer, as well.
I think the City should not sell Bartlett until there is reason to do so. How long do you think that money would sit in the coffers before someone came up with a reason to spend it? I am of the mindset, that I buy what I need; not look for things to buy with the money I have. So that worries me. But, I do not suggest that any of this is what you meant by your post.
only
a matter of time before brh wants more (of what it thinks we need) asking us for more money to finance it. Another temporary tax extension & continued lousy service with outrageous charges, while most would prefer to go outside for their care & save thousands of dollars. & the idea that it is self-sustaining or self-reliant is like saying eagle crest is a money maker LOL.
I think the city manager Kim
I think the city manager Kim Kiefer should have to step down over this. She is the chief administrative officer of our city. One of her main duties is to keep the assembly fully advised on the financial conditions of the municipality.
Section 4.5 Powers and duties: (city manager)
http://www.juneau.org/law/charter/documents/charter.pdf
How many of you have contacted her and received a response?
She has an open door for "private business" but not for the general public. I think it is time for her to get the boot. I am tired of the city catering to the needs and desires of private business while ignoring concerns raised by the general public.
Hospital levy tax
@isldandhopper
Many communities try the hospital property tax levy thing to maintain life-support for their money losing hospitals before finally selling those hospitals to private hospital groups.
Any bets when they start the song and dance?
this shows how much Bartlett has overbilled everyone
The law only allows for medicaid to recoup but all were overcharged
Medicaid billing rules are complicated
And they audit just like the IRS. It's possible the rules were difficult to apply and the hospital thought it billed correctly. It's possible services were rendered with the expectation of geting paid and just like your insurance company... they denied coverage for those services so the hospital had to repay. That does not sound sinister or as if fraud was committed. Nor does it sound inept.
As far as another accounting company is concerned, I think you know the city already hands over billing for CCFR and your ambluance to a third party. They managed to mess up my account pretty badly. My insurance had paid and so had I. The secondary had not yet paid but I am the responsible party so I sent a check as soon aas I received the bill. This check had cleared my bank. 1 week before the billing due date I got an aggressive collection call seeking my co payment of 67.00...the 67.00 they already cashed. By the way...they had my secondary but failed to notice it was "right here" to quote the woman in California I spoke to.......I'm still waiting for my reimbursment.
Careful what you ask for!
cancer everywhere! nobody cares why!!!
this is what depopulation looks like! gmo foods sold at every resturant in town! direct link to organ failer!! flouride being use in every toothpaist for every kid!( 0.6 decrease in your iq per ppm in your blood, and it builds up!) vacines or flu shots! chem trails with aluminum barium. and bpa in all plastics! bovine treatments for cows providing milk! causing breast cancer to explode! chlorine is also disgusting in your water and will kill you! all by design and approved by the fda! until you fix these problems in your community you will keep being soft killed! solution you ask? wake up and stop being led to the grave! i have been working on cancer research full time for the last ten years! i have to shake you to awakin you!
@Wake up now
I am not sure what intelligence level you hold when you cannot even spell correctly. You are portraying yourself as a research scientist, but alas I think you are probably just a hippee that has lost her way.
That's a new take
on spelling yourself Tikitime......hippee?
Medicaid/Medicare fraud
How many other hospitals in Alaska have had to return 1.4 million dollars this year? (self-reported or not...Bartlett had to self-report when they "discovered" their error or those "in the know" would face criminal charges and jail!)
ANYWAY, getting back to the question, to find out if these were really unfortunate mistakes in understanding the challenges of adhering to CMS or something "else", the Empire should investigate if other hospitals are self-reporting and returning millions of dollars. It would seem that this would be happening a lot if this were so. The fact that Bartlett has ONE WEEK to cough up the dough leads me to think "NOT".