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76 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 19, 2004 State investigates Community Works school’s overbilling By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Community Works of Medford overbilled state programs and private insurance companies by about $6,000 over three years, officials said, sparking a state investigation into possible misconduct. An alcohol and drug counselor for CrossRoads, the agency’s alternative school, used the wrong billing code to charge for group treatment services for 34 clients between 2000 and 2003, Director Arnie Green said. "It’s looking like it’s not going to be any more than $6,000 and probably less," said Green, noting that a review of records is not final. That amount represents a portion of the $65,000 the agency billed on behalf of CrossRoads during that time and a fraction of the estimated $500,000 billed for all Community Works drug and alcohol services, he said. Officials with the Oregon Health Plan, which pays for substance abuse treatment, are investigating the error. Advertisement Anita Miller, an OHP representative, said the state will consider intent in deciding whether to pursue action beyond reimbursement. The case could be turned over to the Medicare fraud division, she said. "Is it an intentional error or is it an oversight error?" Miller said. "If we identify billing issues or errors, we would request a refund and make sure processes are in place so it didn’t happen again." Green and Ed Roussell, the agency’s community relations director, said administrators were notified in spring 2003 of the possible error. Officials immediately changed the billing code and began reviewing records. "We realized pretty quickly that it was going to take 200 to 300 hours of staff time to go through the records," Roussell said. But officials didn’t begin analyzing records until this past July. Marlene Mish, a principal on leave from CrossRoads, said nothing was done until she sent a detailed letter to Community Works board members this summer, outlining the billing errors and other problems at the agency. "I believe there could be a legal problem even if the billing mistake was inadvertent at first if the agency later learned of the issue and did not timely and appropriately respond," Mish wrote in her letter. She said the agency’s current investigation is "absolutely" related to her complaints. Green disagreed. "We started working on it before the letter was sent," he said. Mish, who’s been principal of CrossRoads since 2001, said she has requested a hiatus from her job under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. She said the move was sparked by work- related stress. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities