VENTURA COUNTY: Supervisors Delay Final Approval of Medicare Settlement
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors yesterday delayed a final vote on the county's proposed $15.3 million settlement with the federal government in its Medicare fraud case. Supervisors "voiced concern the U.S. attorney's settlement would not include other outstanding audits by state and federal agencies," the Los Angeles Times reports. "With the [HCFA] investigations and everybody else, it would most likely be much more than $15.3 million," said Supervisor Frank Schillo. HCFA officials still claim the county "violated federal organizational rules from April to December 1998" in attempting to merge its mental health and social services departments. Some county officials fear that case could lead to another fine of up to $12 million. Supervisor Kathy Long said the direction the board gave County Counsel James McBride was that "the settlement had to include those other issues. We'll keep meeting until this is resolved" (Johnson, 7/28).
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