Chad Terhune, Kaiser Health News

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Billions In ‘Questionable Payments’ Went To California’s Medicaid Insurers And Providers

The money was paid on behalf of more than 400,000 people who may have been ineligible for the public program, a state audit found. One had been dead for four years before payments stopped.

As Billions In Tax Dollars Flow To Private Medicaid Plans, Who’s Minding The Store?

Insurance companies profit from government contracts but are subject to little oversight of how they spend the money or care for patients. The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has only exacerbated the problem.

Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info

Amid the buzz over apps and electronic medical records rescuing modern medicine, California’s Medicaid program still clings to 1970s-era technology. A reboot may cost half a billion dollars.

The $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Down To $332. What About Other Surprise Bills?

“I don’t feel any consumer should have to go through this,” says Drew Calver, who faced a life-changing surprise bill from an Austin hospital after a heart attack last year. After attention as a “Bill of the Month” patient, he paid the hospital $332. But he worries about other patients with surprise bills.

A Jolt To The Jugular! You’re Insured But Still Owe $109K For Your Heart Attack

A Texas teacher, 44, faces a “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary for a heart attack he never expected to have.

A Jolt To The Jugular! You’re Insured But Still Owe $109K For Your Heart Attack

A Texas teacher, 44, faces a “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary for a heart attack he never expected to have.

A Black Eye For Blue Shield: Consumers Lash Out Over Coverage Lapses

The state’s third-largest insurer faces anger from customers in the individual market who unexpectedly lost their insurance despite paying premiums faithfully. In its recently filed lawsuit, the company blamed a contractor for “egregious” billing problems.

Insurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find

Medicaid has struggled for years with poor oversight and billions lost to improper payments. A new report finds that despite their fraud-fighting rhetoric, Medicaid managed-care companies are not as rigorous as they should be in ensuring the integrity of the Medicaid payment system.