VENTURA COUNTY: Costs Mounting After Improper Billing, Failed Merger

      The cost of Ventura County's failed mental health merger and years of improper Medicare billing has accumulated to nearly $25.5 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to a breakdown included in an inner-office report sent by Health Care Agency Director Pierre Durand to Chief Administrative Officer Harry Hufford, the bulk of the burden comes from the $15.3 million in federal fines for improper billing and payments to health care consultants and attorneys. Further, the initial $300,000 penalty for the botched merger between the county's mental health and social service agencies has now increased to more than $1 million. The county also faces $1.48 million in fees for lawyers and consultants who were hired to ensure that the county complied with all state and federal billing regulations (3/28).