In Brief: Minnesota AG Wants Humana Investigated; Saint Luke\'s Gets CMS Certification For Liver Transplant Program
Minnesota AG Wants Humana Investigated
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to investigate insurer Humana, Inc. for alleged improper handling of Medicare claims.
According to Swanson, her office has received dozens of complaints from Minnesotans enrolled in Humana's Medicare Advantage plans. They claimed they were overbilled for co-payments, were denied coverage for services covered by law, and were unable to properly appeal adverse rulings.
“Medical bills that aren’t covered or processed properly can hit senior citizens hard in the pocketbook. We are asking the federal agency that has authority over these plans to fully investigate and remedy the problems experienced by Minnesota patients,” Swanson said.
Providers have also complained about not being paid for properly documented services.
Humana covers about 100,000 Minnesotans enrolled in Medicare. The company has not yet commented on Swanson's allegations.
Swanson gained headlines in recent months for criticizing the business practices of Chicago-based hospital finance consulting firm Accretive Health. Accretive recently agreed to stop doing business in Minnesota for four years.
St. Luke's Gets CMS Certification For Liver Transplants
Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City has received accreditation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for its liver transplant program. The accredition allows it to accept Medicare patients for transplants.
Saint Luke's added liver transplant services to its facility in 2011. the facility's waiting times for a liver transplant average four months, compared to the nationwide average of one year. About 1,200 patients in the hospital's service region are awaiting liver transplantation.
“This is an important next step in the evolution of our comprehensive transplant referral center and will improve access to liver transplant services for patients in Kansas City and the surrounding area,” said Saint Luke's Hospital Chief Executive Officer Julie Quirin.
