[nfbmi-talk] similar to bsbp

[joe harcz Comcast]

This Governor destroyed the consumer controlled oversight board of these programs called QC3, just like he destroyed our independent commission for the blind.

And the results are waste, fraud and abuse jst like this program which also concerns many blind persons with multiple disabilities by the way.

Joe Harcz
Michigan pays millions to convicted felons working as caregivers, audit shows By Robin Erb Detroit Free Press Medical Writer The state of Michigan has been

paying convicted criminals - including those with violent pasts or those convicted of fraud and identity theft - for home help services to Medicaid clients,

one of the many reasons the state is falling short of following state and federal laws and policies around the program, according to the Michigan Office

of the Auditor General. Some of those workers may be relatives of the clients, who are fully aware of their past. But others may be strangers to the vulnerable

clients. Moreover, the state may be wasting millions of dollars every year in the state's Medicaid Home Help Program because of shoddy paperwork and lack

of oversight, according to a blistering, 81-page report released earlier today. The program, funded by state and federal dollars, provides personal care

services to more than 66,000 clients with medical needs and who have difficulties with personal care, household chores and other activities of daily life.

¦ PDF: Medicaid Home Health Program Audit Sometimes, the workers are strangers; other times they are relatives who are paid to assist in client care. Among

the findings: ¦ The state's community health and human services departments failed to obtain sufficient or timely paperwork to ensure $146.4 million in

services were adequate and clients were satisfied during a 29-month period ending February, 2013. That money represents $49.6 million from the state's

general fund, or about 1 in 6 of every dollar that was spent in that time on such services. ¦ Workers included 3,786 with felony convictions - including

572 with violent convictions from assault to homicide and 285 for sex crimes. Another 1,148 workers had been convicted of fraud, identity theft and other

financial crimes. Some of these providers may have been related to the client. ¦ State workers failed to adequately monitor services, which in turn, failed

to guarantee clients were receiving timely and adequate services. ¦ Even when workers did review cases files, their recommendations were not followed.

¦ The state did not have a process to review employment forms for workers that were returned as undeliverable - paperwork that may have signaled fraud

either by provider or client. ¦ At least $3.3 million in services were provided to individuals that did not qualify for them. Though the report did not

allege specific instances of fraud, a lack of oversight provide the opportunity for fraud both by providers and by clients, themselves, according to the

report. And if there is such fraud, the state could have to repay millions in federal dollars for the services.