Jul 25, 2006 3:54 pm US/Central
Parkland, County Plan to Prosecute Phony Patients
by Bud Gillett
(CBS 11 News)
Parkland Hospital officials said the hospital is owed millions from patients who lied about being poor or being Dallas County residents while receiving care at the Dallas hospital.
They hope a new software program will help the hospital identify offenders. Parkland will try to get reimbursed while the county prosecutes them under "theft by deception" laws.
Patients from all over North Texas frequently go to Parkland because of its expertise in burns, trauma and neo-natal care.
While it wants to recover the debt, hospital officials aren't trying to scare anyone off. As with most county hospitals, Parkland absorbs the cost of paying for indigent county residents who have no insurance.
"We do not want to deter people from looking for health care," John Gates Parkland Hospital CFO said at a Tuesday morning news conference. "We do want them to be honest about their situation with us."
"What we ask is that people are up front and honest with us, and that allows us to work through situations so that people can get the health care they need and also the citizens of Dallas County are also appropriately served."
Officials have identified more than 140 potential abuses of patients and expect another 10 or so to crop up every month.
"There are individuals who have taken advantage of the good nature of the citizens of Dallas County … we're basically serving notice to those individuals," said John Wiley Price , Dallas County Commissioner District 3.
District 4 County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield said the abuse has gone on too long.
"You're, in effect, stealing from the taxpayers of Dallas County and we don't want to put up with it anymore. We've put up with it far too long. We've got the technology, now that we can really root these people out. "
The database called Searchamerica.com allows for a complete patient accounting system anywhere in its 25 locations. It provides a real identity, address and income on virtually every resident they get from public sources, Price explained.
Dallas County officials claim even more money is owed from eight neighboring counties whose own poor residents have come to Parkland for treatment.
Commissioners are sending notices to those counties for reimbursement while also urging an area-wide solution.
"It behooves the other counties to work with us on a regional solution to healthcare," District 1 County Commissioner Maureen Dickey added.
"We need to pursue money that is owed us from out-of-county. This $18 million is actually – probably -- the tip of the iceberg."
(CBS 11 News)
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