University Daily Kansan, April 14, 1981
Page 3
Med Center reconciling Medicaid claims
By BRIAN LEVINSON Staff Reporter
Officials of the department of Social and Rehabilitative Services and the University of Kansas Medical Center have settled all but $405,000 of the almost $1.2 million in Medicaid claims in dispute, OSF officials said yesterday.
In February, a group of state legislators discovered problems in the Med Center's filing of claims to SRS for services provided to Medicaid patients. The lawmakers threatened to cut the funding if the problems were not resolved.
The 221 claims that have not been settled were sent back to the Med Center for more information, William Richards, SRS commissioner for income maintenance and medical services, said.
Richards said the claims were sent
back for a number of reasons including duplicate claims, claims that were ineligible for SRS reimbursement and claims that were not filed within six months after the service was provided, as required by state law.
"We sat down with Med Center officials and went through the claims one by one," Richards said. "We identified those claims that were actually for Medicaid recipients and then checked to see if the patient was eligible for Medicaid at the time the service was provided."
RICHARDS SAID some of the claims were sent back because they needed adjustments.
"If there was an error in calculating the bill or if someone forgot to sign it, we can not process it," he said.
Keith Nitcher, KU director of business affairs, said the Med Center business office was going through all of the disputed claims so that it could
provide SRS with specific information that was missing.
"SRS is going to review our processing of patient accounts so we will know what information is needed for the system, writing it if it is missing." Nichard said.
Richards said SRS and Med Center officials would continue to work together to minimize recurrence of the billing problems.
Nichter said the Med Center was considering buying new computer programs so that patient accounts now require by hand could be done by computer.
"We need better coordination of the accounts," he said.
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS were just one of four areas the legislators complained about in February.
The other problems cited by the legislators were dirty and unsanitary housekeeping conditions, the lack of a contract with physicians who practice
at the Med Center and delays in completing renovation work in the old hospital.
Last week the same legislators praised the Med Center and KU administrators for correcting all of the problems.
The Med Center budget for fiscal 1982 requested by John. Govin Carlson is $4.7 million. The projected patient revenue is about $46 million, after payment of debts incurred to build the new hospital. Nitcher said.
However, the Legislature still had to appropriate an additional $300,000 last week for the Med Center to keep runnin- - - - -
The difference between the projected budget and revenue would be covered by the Med Center's operating budget. It will have about a $2 million surplus in 1982, which that Budget is expected to have a surplus of $2.5 million after fiscal 1982.
Interchange could put Lecompton on map
By DALE WETZEL Staff Reporter
A $90,000 turniple interchange study now resting on the desk of Gov. John Carlin could mean future fresh commercial blood for the Douglas County school district. Charles Wright, Lecompont historian and a staunch supporter of the university
"Lacompton needs to be put back on the map," Wright said yesterday. "This interchange, if it comes about, will be a big step in doing that." A new turnip interchange would really be an ideal thing for our community."
The first step toward an eventual interchange is the feasibility study, which will include not only Lecompton but three Wichita-area communities as well. Originally, the study was left out of Gov. Carlin's 1962 budget, but concerted lobbying by Wright, former Vowen and Lawrence City Manager Buford Watson helped to put the money back in the budget.
VOGEL, A MEMBER of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce's Highways and Roads Committee, said the interchange would remove some of the unnecessary road traffic to outlying roads and increase accessibility to southwest Lawrence.
The Army Corps of Engineers has estimated that more than one million people will visit nearby Clinton
reservoir's newly completed facilities this summer.
"All the boats and trailers you see during the summer on Sixth Street, a lot of them would take that interchange," he said. "We've had a lot of pressure off Highway 40."
He said, however, that the turnipme interchange was a long way from reality and that the feasibility study probably wouldn't be completed until the next legislative session, even if Carlin signs the bill.
"It's hard to say whether the turnipke interchange will eventually be built," Vogel said. "I do think, however, that it's definitely a worthy project. I firmly believe that it would generate enough traffic to pay for itself."
If it's built, the interchange will be installed on Douglas County Route 1029, which runs underneath the turnip directly south of Lecompton. Vistors to or Clinton Reservoir are currently forced to exit at Topella or Lawrence.
ORIGINALLY, VOGEL SAID, the interchange study included only three communities instead of four, with the $80,000 cost coming solely from state funds. However, House amendments have stipulated that the benefiting community must foot 20 percent of the total tab.
"That doesn't bother me too much." Vogel said. "It seems only fair. The interchange sure would help Lecompton."
It certainly would, according to Wright.
"We live up here in the hills, nobody can get to us and nobody knows where we are," Wright said of the Kansas river town, a city that was once Kansas' territorial capital and a major commercial center.
"Without the interchange, we really don't have any way for the tourists to get to our historical sites, namely Lane
University, one of Kansas' first liberal arts institutions." Wright said.
Lane, where Dwight D. Eisenhower's father studied, has just undergone a $190,000 facelift and will soon be converted to a museum, he said.
"The building's practically done. All that remains are a few odds and ends," Wright said. "But now, for the tourists to get to it, they have to follow this maze of country roads, and no one wants to do that."
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Local children victims of infectious disease
By REBECCA CHANEY Staff Reporter
An epidemic of giardiasis, a bowel infection caused by an intestinal parasite, has been reported in the state of Texas, local health officials said last week.
Ann Ailor, nurse epidemiologist for communicable diseases at the health department, said the disease was highly contagious and could be transmitted from hand to mouth or through contaminated water supplies.
Most of the 41 cases cited by the Douglas County Health Department involved young children. Figures for Collins Hospital were unavailable.
SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating or constipation.
"These people are probably more important in transmitting the disease with those active because they don't even know they've got it."
"When there are symptoms, they're the same as for 15,000 other diseases," Ailor said. "But often there are no symptoms. A large number of people we located have been totally symptomatic, with no symptoms at all."
Allor said she did not know what
was causing the sudden increase in cases of giardiasis.
If an examination shows evidence of giardiasis, the infected person must be isolated at least 24 hours after starting medication. Treatment usually takes four to seven days. More tests follow completion of treatment to make sure the idosease does not recur.
"It's not a year," she said. "Certainly we are seeing more cases than ever and we don't know the reason for this."
Ailor said the epidemic was not confined to Lawrence and cited increasing reports of the disease in Topeka and Johnson County.
Resistance to the disease cannot be built up, and detection of the parasite must be made through stool sample or state lab for examination. Alsa said.
"As long as you have it, you can communicate it to others," Allor said.
"This is not new. It's not an uncommon disease," she said. "It's very prevalent in Colorado, for instance, because of the water. In fact, a lot of people pick it up in Colorado."
"The best precaution is just plain hand-washing and personal hygiene, along with protection of water supplies."
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