Latest / Becker's Healthcare Behavioral Health / Arizona Hospital to Open 24-Bed Inpatient Behavioral Health Center; Community Mental Health Affiliates Pays $384K to Settle Overbilling Allegations

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Arizona Hospital to Open 24-Bed Inpatient Behavioral Health Center; Community Mental Health Affiliates Pays $384K to Settle Overbilling Allegations · Becker's Healthcare Behavioral Health

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  This is Randy Homan with Becker's Behavioral Health Podcast.
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  Here's your daily industry news brief for February 3rd.
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  First, according to a WC report from Wednesday,
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  Yuma Regional Medical Center in Yuma,
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  Arizona plans to open a new behavioral health clinic.
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  The clinic will have 24 inpatient beds and just as many staff members
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  of those members. 10 will be registered nurses, 10 personal care assistance,
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  one social worker, and one activity Therapist.
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  Y R M C decides to construct the clinic following a community health needs
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  assessment. It found a strong need for mental health services in the area.
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  Yuma patients currently transferred to behavioral health facilities in Tucson,
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  Arizona, or Phoenix. The center expects to open on Monday.
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  Second, according to a Jefferson Public Radio report from Wednesday,
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  Klamath Basin Behavioral Health Center plans to build a new facility.
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  The new facility will be a long-term mental healthcare facility with 16 beds.
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  It will also include a four bed crisis receiving center.
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  This is designed to help lower the population in hospitals and jails.
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  The center will be located next to Kla Bateson's current facility in Klamath
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  Falls, Oregon. It will double the organization's total number of beds.
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  The Oregon Health Authority grants 2.6 million to fund this facility.
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  Klamath County also donated vacant land for an area to build.
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  Construction will begin this year and finish next year.
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  Third. Yesterday,
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  the US Department of Justice announced that the community mental health
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  affiliates will pay almost $400,000 in a settlement.
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  The allegations state,
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  the Behavioral health organization overbuild Medicaid for services.
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  The organization allegedly submitted claims for Medicaid Rehabilitation Options
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  services to the State's Medicaid program.
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  The services are meant for patients who have a secondary disability in addition
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  to severe and persistent mental illness. To gain independence,
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  to receive funding for these services,
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  facilities must provide at least 40 hours of M R O services per month
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  with each eligible patient.
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  Investors found the organization submitted M R O claims for certain clients,
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  but failed to document at least 40 hours of services per month for the clients.
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  Between January of 2015 to December of 2019,
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  a complaint filed under the whistleblower provisions of the federal and state
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  false Claims Acts initiated the investigation.
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  This whistleblower will receive almost $60,000 of the settlement.
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  Thank you for listening.
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  inbox.
• 2:59
  Subscribe to the Becker's Behavioral Health Report e-newsletter on our website
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  at www.beckerbehavioralhealth.com.