New York Creates Home Health Aide Registry
After a number of scandals in the home health care industry in New York, the Attorney General's Office has decided to start a state registry for home health aides. The Attorney General found thousands of health aides working without valid certification and dozens of cases wherein home health care companies were sued for fraudulent billing.
New York presently does not keep track of home health aides, and hopes that creating a registry will help solve the problem by creating accountability. New York's Department of Health would maintain the registry, which, if approved, may take another year to create.
New York's Attorney General, Mario Cuomo, found $70 million in fraudulent billing to Medicaid, which is increasing the cost in New York. Some aides were found billing 35 hours in one day. Furthermore, fake education claims, fake identities and criminal records have become common in the industry. The creation of the registry hopes to correct that.
The Department of Health will also be required to conduct background checks on home health aides, the results of which will be accessible on the registry.
New York presently does not keep track of home health aides, and hopes that creating a registry will help solve the problem by creating accountability. New York's Department of Health would maintain the registry, which, if approved, may take another year to create.
New York's Attorney General, Mario Cuomo, found $70 million in fraudulent billing to Medicaid, which is increasing the cost in New York. Some aides were found billing 35 hours in one day. Furthermore, fake education claims, fake identities and criminal records have become common in the industry. The creation of the registry hopes to correct that.
The Department of Health will also be required to conduct background checks on home health aides, the results of which will be accessible on the registry.
Labels: background checks, fraud, health care, New York
posted by JenWiehl at 10:52 AM
9 Comments:
This seems liek such an obvious step to me, it's a wonder it hasn't been done before now...in all 50 states! Pretty sad how it takes a calamity to create change.
This is great news. I hope that the public will be able to access the registry.
I love that this was created by government officials who probably do the same thing. However, accountability in all walks of life is a good thing!
I am suprised that they don't already run background checks on Home Health Care Aids. All states should start creating a database and start tracking these individuals. You always hear about people abusing the young and the old. They target people that either don't know any better or can not defend themselves.
Let's hope this catches on already.
This is so, so, so important! Especially with the aging baby boomers. Our nation is facing the largest generation of elderly, ever. We need to make sure they are well cared for, and that their children aren't being billed by criminals.
I'm disappointed that the private industry hasn't stepped up to take care of this and offer certifications which consumers could inspect prior to hiring or placing these employees in their homes. It's pathetic that with all this trouble, nobody has fixed anything until now. Of course, we'll have to wait to see if it even is fixed...
It's high time someone cracks down on criminals working without valid certification, licenses, permits, etc. Running background checks on those individuals will aid in eliminating some of the crime.
Maybe NY should lower their background criminal check price. It's over $75 per name. Not 100% sure on price, but it's something like that.
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