Breaking: Illinois Planned Parenthood investigated for Medicaid abuse
Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting that Illinois Planned Parenthood’s medical director, abortionist Caroline Hoke, is being investigated for overbilling to Medicaid.
Crain’s found that of 30,000 physicians, Hoke received the second-highest reimbursement from Medicaid in 2009, over $3 million, but her reimbursements plunged to zero in 2011. Per Crain’s:
The state Department of Healthcare and Family Services has withheld payments to Dr. Hoke until “billing issues” are resolved, a DHFS spokesman confirms….
Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO Carole Brite denies any wrongdoing, calling the inquiry a “routine review.” She says the organization will have to repay the state, but she declines to say how much….
The probe raises questions about an important source of funding for the organization, which received about half of its $25 million revenue from Medicaid in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, the most recent data available.
Planned Parenthood’s explanation, again per Crain’s:
After the merger, Dr. Hoke’s reimbursements rose because DHFS instructed the organization to bill services at all locations under her name, Ms. Brite says. But the agency changed its position, effective February 2009, advising the organization to bill providers separately, she says. The inspector general’s examination began in April 2010, she adds.
“There’s no fraud, no wrongdoing,” Ms. Brite says. “We came to an agreement long ago – we’re just waiting for the final paperwork.”
As Dr. Hoke’s billings have faded, payments have grown to the other providers who use Planned Parenthood’s Chicago headquarters address. In fiscal 2009, those 52 providers were paid $2.8 million, records show. By 2011, the number of providers rose to 62 while payments shot up to $7 million.…
Medicaid officials typically suspend payments only when additional payments would be improper, says Linda Gombac, an auditor at Lafayette, Ind.-based BlickenStaff LLC, a health care compliance consulting firm.
“Especially if they end up taking back some money,” she says.
Exactly. If PP did nothing wrong, why does it have to repay the state?
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Another one?
I am shocked, shocked to find out than an organisation whose primary business is killing babies would ever sink to the incredible low that is overbilling Medicaid.
I have more FUN when our government deFUNds Planned Parenthood. The fact that the largest abortion provider in the US gets a penny from Medicaid is unfathomable to me. It is a fraud. The Hyde amendent is the law of the land and Planned UnParenthood should be sued and all government dollars (Medicaid or otherwise) should be stopped immediately. It would be a glorious coming with Phil Kline in the DOJ and Mrs. Santorum as head of Family Services in HHS.
Illinois….sigh!
Doesn’t PP already get federal funds? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
JDC,
I join you in your shock!!! Completely shocked I tell you!! Shocked!!
Whoo-hoo!
I have to say I’m quite sure that the number of PPs who have been found to be abusive in funds/criminal in misappropriations/billing simply reflects the number of PPs who have been investigated. The notion that there exists, anywhere in this country, a branch of the Planned Parenthood organization which is *not* guilty of this systematic abuse would be beyond believable to me.