Doctors sue over Medicaid payment delays

[unhappycamper]

http://www.fayobserver.com/news/local/article_46d74948-6903-5037-be53-8f293a5c925e.html

Doctors sue over Medicaid payment delays
Posted: Thursday, January 16, 2014 8:29 pm
Associated Press

RALEIGH - A group of North Carolina doctors filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday seeking millions of dollars in damages from the state and its contractors over flawed computer programs that severely delayed Medicaid reimbursements.

The plaintiffs include Highland Obstetrical-Gynecological Clinic of Fayetteville and Lumberton-based Children's Health of Carolina, which has clinics in Robeson, Cumberland and Hoke counties.

The plaintiffs say a new, $484million computer system, called NCTracks, is supposed to ensure they get paid for treating low-income patients. But it has been severely fouled up since it replaced the old payment system July 1. The doctors say they were underpaid for some patients and not paid at all for others.

As class-action, lawyers for the group say more than 70,000 medical providers in the state suffered harm and could be entitled to damages. The lawsuit estimates that medical providers have been "shorted" about $500million by the new computer system.

[Dawgs]

1. THANKS OBAMA! n/t

[DURHAM D]

2. Why are you thanking Obama?

[Dawgs]

3. Relax.

[DURHAM D]

4. I am trying to figure out if you are even aware that

this is a state issue, not a federal issue.

Were you?

[Dawgs]

5. Yikes. n/t