Maryland's Office of Legislative Audits found a commission charged with investigating hospital overbilling left out key information from its annual hospital reviews, such as determining how long overcharges had been occurring and identifying which patients or payors were overcharged, according to a report by the Washington Post.
Auditors analyzed reports from the Health Services Cost Review Commission on fiscal year 2009 data from the state's 53 regulated hospitals, finding at least $13.2 million in overcharges at four hospitals, $3.7 million of which was billed to the state's Medicaid program, according to the report.
Since the audit was released last week, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the hospitals will be forced to repay the overcharges through future rate adjustments and fined for reporting inaccurate information to the commission.
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Auditors analyzed reports from the Health Services Cost Review Commission on fiscal year 2009 data from the state's 53 regulated hospitals, finding at least $13.2 million in overcharges at four hospitals, $3.7 million of which was billed to the state's Medicaid program, according to the report.
Since the audit was released last week, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the hospitals will be forced to repay the overcharges through future rate adjustments and fined for reporting inaccurate information to the commission.
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