Post by Logan on Mar 5, 2016 9:48:51 GMT -6
Patients Needing Rides To Medical Appointments Hurt By Poor Service, Lawmakers Told
HARTFORD — A Georgia-based company hired by the state in 2012 to arrange non-emergency rides to medical appointments for Medicaid patients has continued to collect its $25 million in fees, plus a performance bonus, despite a track record that some lawmakers describe as nightmarish.
Issues such as late or missed pickups, stranded patients — many of them children or the elderly — long hold times at the call center, unpaid claims submitted by the taxi and van companies, and poor quality control have dogged Logisticare, and the state agency that is supposed to be watching it, for the more than three years the firm has been under contract, according to testimony Thursday before the legislature's human services committee.
"I totally agree the system is broken," said Rep. Catherine Abercrombie, a Democrat from Meriden and the House chair of the committee. "I'll be honest. I'm not happy with the commissioner's response."
She was referring to Roderick L. Bremby, head of the Department of Social Services, who testified Thursday that DSS was working on a plan to build more accountability into Logisticare's contract.
Read more: www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-medicaid--medical-transports-0305-20160304-story.html
HARTFORD — A Georgia-based company hired by the state in 2012 to arrange non-emergency rides to medical appointments for Medicaid patients has continued to collect its $25 million in fees, plus a performance bonus, despite a track record that some lawmakers describe as nightmarish.
Issues such as late or missed pickups, stranded patients — many of them children or the elderly — long hold times at the call center, unpaid claims submitted by the taxi and van companies, and poor quality control have dogged Logisticare, and the state agency that is supposed to be watching it, for the more than three years the firm has been under contract, according to testimony Thursday before the legislature's human services committee.
"I totally agree the system is broken," said Rep. Catherine Abercrombie, a Democrat from Meriden and the House chair of the committee. "I'll be honest. I'm not happy with the commissioner's response."
She was referring to Roderick L. Bremby, head of the Department of Social Services, who testified Thursday that DSS was working on a plan to build more accountability into Logisticare's contract.
Read more: www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-medicaid--medical-transports-0305-20160304-story.html