Home Care Company Owes Ohio Medicaid Dept. $1.3 Million, Audit Shows
A California-based home care company owes the Ohio Department of Medicaid more than $1.35 million after billing it for services provided by undertrained PCAs, the Circleville Herald reported on October 8.
The company, AccentCare Home Health, has more than 135 offices in 10 states; its website says it provides care for more than 70,000 people every year.
But an audit of its office in Circleville, Ohio, found a range of improper practices and errors, resulting in the Ohio Department of Medicaid overpaying AccentCare by more than $1.2 million. (AccentCare also owes the department an additional $150,000 in interest.)
The audit, conducted by Dave Yost, state auditor, examined a random selection of 1,600 services provided by AccentCare between July 2008 and June 2011. More than one-fourth of the services (416 total) involved an error of some kind.
The audit shows that three personal care attendants (PCAs) provided services despite not having completed the necessary training, while 15 PCAs provided services without being certified to administer first aid.
PHI maintains an online database of state-by-state training requirements across direct-care occupations, including PCAs and home health aides.
In addition, nearly 200 other errors were cited, mostly related to improper or incomplete documentation of services and instances in which plans of care were not signed by a doctor.
— by Matthew Ozga
