San Benito County’s Health and Human Services has put in place a procedure to make sure that claims for In-Home Support Services are filed in a timely manner after the State of California denied payment of claims dating back to 2007.
At the county supervisors’ meeting Nov. 15, the supervisors were apprised that the county would not be receiving reimbursement for more than $400,000 in claims from 2007-08 and 2008-09 because of the late filings.
Management analyst Catherine Shaw said that claims from 2009-10 and 2010-11 were also filed late, but the state agreed to pay those claims.
The claims are due quarterly, and Nadine DaRoza, from the county’s Health and Human Services department, said that the new procedure would include filing claims with the state within 15 to 20 days of the end of the quarter.
The average claim for each quarter is $79,000 and includes administrative costs such as expenses, salaries and benefits for Public Authority staff, who administer the program; service and supply operating budgets; and health insurance for providers for long-term care.
DaRoza said that the person responsible for making sure the claims are filed in time is the fiscal unit along with the program manager.
“The problem has been corrected and they are all now filed in a timely manner,” DaRoza said. “We worked closely with the state representatives.”
Richard Inman, the county administrative officer, said that his office recently learned of the late claims.
“They have been turned around,” he said.
He said he would be meeting with Kathy Flores, the director of Health and Human Services, about the issue when she returns from vacation.
