An audit from the Arizona Auditor General's Office found the state Medicaid program is paying up to $50 million annually to provide care for ineligible Medicaid beneficiaries, according to an Arizona Daily Sun report.
Auditor General Debbie Davenport said that translates into a 1.1 percent error rate for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. "Of the approximately $414 million in monthly capitation payments that AHCCCS makes for its members in the programs tested, we estimated that AHCCCS is paying its health plans approximately $3.5 million to $4.8 million monthly for enrolled but ineligible patients," she said in the report.
In 2008, CMS conducted a study of 17 states' Medicaid programs, and it found the national average error rate was 6.7 percent. While Arizona's most recent rate is far below the national average, Ms. Davenport and Gov. Jan Brewer said they are "certainly going to do everything in our power to get some of [the issues] resolved," according to the report.
Auditor General Debbie Davenport said that translates into a 1.1 percent error rate for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. "Of the approximately $414 million in monthly capitation payments that AHCCCS makes for its members in the programs tested, we estimated that AHCCCS is paying its health plans approximately $3.5 million to $4.8 million monthly for enrolled but ineligible patients," she said in the report.
In 2008, CMS conducted a study of 17 states' Medicaid programs, and it found the national average error rate was 6.7 percent. While Arizona's most recent rate is far below the national average, Ms. Davenport and Gov. Jan Brewer said they are "certainly going to do everything in our power to get some of [the issues] resolved," according to the report.
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