For Immediate Release

 For Information Contact:
Thursday, September 4, 2003

Brian Adey
 798-5800

Griffo: County on the MARC
to Seek Out Medicaid Savings

Pictured here are Theodore C. Mohr, Commissioner of Social Services, County Executive Joseph A. Griffo and Sen. Raymond A. Meier


Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo today announced the formation of an action-oriented Social Services squad to cut the costs of operating Medicaid through increased use of e-government and an aggressive effort to recover costs.

"We are assembling the MARC (Medicaid Action and Recovery Control) team to review every possible way to recovering dollars and reducing the costs of this massive program," Griffo said. "Social Services Commissioner Ted Mohr is bringing together some top staffers within the department to explore ways that technology can help reduce the immense volume of paperwork generated by this program, explore new avenues to build on our recovery of money due Oneida County, and work with state leaders to revise laws or regulations that contribute to operational expenses."

Mohr noted that County Government cannot control Medicaid costs on its own. "The way the program works, the rules for eligibility and the costs of paying benefits are set by the state," Mohr said. "The only areas where we can cut costs are to increase efficiency in processing paperwork and to recover costs by stepping up our investigations. Advances in technology should allow us to use e-government in ways we have not attempted before to help end payments to individuals who may no longer be eligible for benefits or reduce duplication we may not know exists, and to find greater efficiency in our internal operations."

Mohr noted that there are currently about 37,000 Oneida County residents who participate in the Medicaid program. That’s an increase of about 5,000 people from July 2002 and about 9,000 for the start of 2002. "The increase in customers through programs such as Family Health Plus has meant a massive increase in both cases and costs," said Mohr. "In a program this big, that has grown so much so fast, we need to take extraordinary steps to find any savings we can. Implementing e-government and using technology to perform database searches will help us increase the amount of money we can recover for our county."

Griffo said the county will work closely with the Medicaid Task Force headed by Sen. Raymond Meier, a former Oneida County Executive, to focus on Medicaid and the broader-based issue of mandate relief.

Sen. Meier said, "Ultimately, we in Albany must come to grips with the explosive growth in Medicaid costs which threatens the fiscal stability of our state and all of our counties. While we must preserve heath care for the needy, New York’s Medicaid program spends too much money with too little thought about sound planning and policy. To make matters worse, we send a big part of the bill to counties, placing pressure on property taxpayers. As co-chairman of the Senate Medicaid Reform Task Force, I am committed to finding real solutions for this crisis. County Executive Griffo is to be commended for acting to find locally based solutions and for proposing a partnership with those of us in Albany who believe Medicaid spending needs to be reformed and reigned in."

"Senator Meier is one of our state’s foremost leaders on Social Services issues," Griffo said. "We hope that his support for our efforts will allow us to function as a pilot site to test the extent to which aggressive actions on the part of local government can provide savings. This will not only help the people of Oneida County, but all state residents."

Griffo said key point in the MARC team’s plan of action include:

  • Creation of the new fraud hot line at 798-5055 and e-mail address MedFraud@co.oneida.ny.us, as well as a review of billing by providers. Mohr noted that residents have helped identify fraud cases in the past. He also noted that the Department’s Resource Unit recovered more than $6 million in 2002. "National estimates say at least 10 percent of Medicaid costs are due to fraud, abuse or over-charging," Griffo said. "Although we have the greatest respect for the health care providers in our region, we have an obligation to the taxpayers to ensure that over-billing, billing for services not provided or charging fees for durable medical equipment that are far above industry standards are not allowed."
  • Tougher reviews to scrutinize Medicaid files for proper and timely treatment of any change in financial status. Also, a review of all files of individuals receiving treatment out of the county to ensure they are officially Oneida County residents. If they are not, Oneida County is not liable for their bills.
  • Review all Resource Unit files in which the County has an interest though the imposition of liens, etc.
  • Investigating and auditing the county’s 2,000 Comprehensive Medicaid Case Management claims for duplication of service. Customers in this area are served by both the Mental Health and Social Services systems, which can lead to overlap in paying for case management.
  • Increased efforts to coordinate transportation costs for customers who must receive treatment in Syracuse.
  • Minimizing costs of forms and paperwork by designing an internal paperless case management system and working with the state to revise regulations that require unnecessary paperwork. "Even if we reduce paper by only 10%, that’s a significant savings," Griffo said.

Griffo praised Mohr’s actions in creating the MARC team. "My charge to Commissioner Mohr was to find ways to reduce costs. I commend him and the people in his department, because while MARC team members are working to save us money, other staff will be picking up their duties. That’s the kind of teamwork and dedication that will allow us to use the experience within County Government to better serve our taxpayers."