PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rita Gorenflo’s 7-year-old son Nathaniel was in severe pain from a sinus infection. But since the boy was covered by Medicaid, she couldn’t immediately find a specialist willing to see him. After days of calling, … Read More
The FBI is now investigating the multimillion-dollar, no-bid deal brokered by officials at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, whose chief is facing increasing pressure from lawmakers who want answers. And Gov.-elect Greg Abbott has assembled a special “strike … Read More
A Michigan physician involved in a $2.1 million home health care fraud scheme was sentenced today to 15 months in prison. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the … Read More
The mastermind of a more than $700,000 stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit theft of public money, theft of public money and aggravated identity theft, the Department of Justice, the … Read More
Controversial no-bid contracts that resulted in a firing, a resignation, and an apparent criminal investigation into the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have spurred further inquiry from both the governor’s office and the agency’s executive commissioner. Gov.-elect Greg Abbott … Read More
AUSTIN – The director of Texas’ massive state health agency personally pushed lawmakers to approve a $90 million extension of a major contract even after news reports showed the initial deal was awarded without competition and potentially subject to conflicts … Read More
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott announced Wednesday the creation of an independent “strike force” to review the state’s largest health agency, specifically how it awards contracts to private vendors. “In the wake of recent revelations at the Health and Human Services Commission, … Read More
On the eve of the semi-annual campaign finance reporting deadline, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott’s office confirmed he returned a $10,000 campaign contribution from the CEO of the beleaguered company at the center of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission contracting … Read More
The Sunset Commission took its final votes Wednesday on a body of all recommendations, including a 2,300-page rewrite of the health and human services code to align the code to both current practices and recommended changes at its related agencies. … Read More
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott has enlisted two state government veterans to quickly review contracting practices and oversight in Medicaid and social services programs. The incoming GOP chief executive asked former deputy comptroller Billy Hamilton and Agriculture Department financial officer Heather Griffith … Read More
An appellate court sided with the state in dismissing a whistleblower claim by a former government lawyer who alleged that his agency was improperly taking reimbursements from Medicaid recipients. F. Michael McMillen, a lawyer with more than 20 years of … Read More
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott will deploy an independent “strike force” to delve into the state’s beleaguered health agency, whose contracting with an Austin tech company is already the subject of a criminal investigation and inquiry by the state auditor. “In the … Read More
January 13, 2015 — Over the past 10 years, Medicaid reimbursement rates for pediatric dental services have not kept up with inflation, but private insurance rates in most states have seen inflation-related adjustments, according to a new report from the … Read More
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek today announced that he’s assembling a team of experts to help strengthen oversight and monitoring of contracts. “The primary way we deliver services across our agencies is through contracts, and it … Read More
Since November, the chief executive of Austin tech company 21CT has repeatedly said she first met Jack Stick in 2011, when she and the former state official began brokering a multimillion-dollar, no-bid deal that is now the subject of a … Read More
AUSTIN – The company that won a massive no-bid state contract now embroiled in scandal has decided to launch an aggressive campaign to defend its reputation and other business deals. Austin technology firm 21CT has hired an all-star cast of … Read More
If Jack Stick could be any animal, he would be a liger. A cross-breed between a lion and a tiger might seem like a whimsical answer to the question posed in the 2011 job interview, just before he was hired … Read More
AUSTIN, TEXAS A top deputy at Texas’ massive state health agency received the job without any competition and then was granted nearly $100,000 to pay for his graduate school tuition, according to state records. Casey Haney, a former aide to … Read More
In violation of its own policy, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission paid $97,020 so a top aide to Commissioner Kyle Janek — and former aide to ousted chief counsel Jack Stick — could pursue an MBA degree, The … Read More
AUSTIN – A well-connected former political aide landed a lucrative job at Texas’ sprawling state health commission without having to apply, and then got his boss to give him a lump sum of nearly $100,000 in taxpayer dollars to fund … Read More
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott said Thursday he wants to replace the Texas Sunset Commission with a citizen-led panel on government waste. Speaking at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s annual Policy Orientation conference, Abbott said the Sunset system “seldom eliminates unnecessary agencies.” … Read More
Everybody knows going to the dentist is important, yet half of American adults skip out on regular dental care. Some avoid dentistry out of fear of pain or sheer busyness, but a large portion of Americans can’t afford it without … Read More
AUSTIN –Texas state health officials have decided not to release any more records about a controversial no-bid contract until a criminal investigation has been completed, reversing an earlier pledge to produce the public documents. Spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman told reporters this … Read More
A state senator wants the Texas auditor to review how a private firm was selected to operate a state psychiatric hospital in Terrell. The request from state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, is the second recent call for an audit of the way … Read More
A New York City dentist from Rockland is facing felony counts of defrauding Medicaid by submitting phony bills for care he didn’t provide, officials said Thursday. Howard Rothenberg, 64, of West Nyack, was charged with billing the taxpayer-funded health insurance … Read More
COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that Ohio has joined four states and the federal government to settle allegations that one of the leading providers of dialysis services in the United States paid illegal kickbacks to induce … Read More
A leading state senator says she will propose tougher safeguards against unethical behavior by those involved in awarding contracts to the private vendors who increasingly deliver medical care and social services to vulnerable Texans. Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, is … Read More
New Mexico’s Medicaid director, who was involved in the state’s controversial behavioral health shake-up in 2013, is leaving her $103,000-a-year position later this month to go to work for the private contractor that had set the provider overhaul in motion. … Read More
January 6, 2015 — Due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Medicaid market for dental care will grow significantly nationwide, according to new research by the ADA Health Policy Institute. But translating expanded Medicaid dental benefits … Read More
The chair of an influential legislative panel is calling for stronger rules to limit conflicts of interest in state contracting as well as increased oversight of major contracts like the multi-million-dollar no-bid deal awarded to Austin tech company 21CT. State … Read More
A no-bid state contract for $110 million, state officials being shown the door and the agency’s top official insisting he was misled. It all points to a need for more strenuous oversight at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. … Read More
One of three Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees put on paid administrative leave amid a probe into the agency’s contracting procedures is facing a 50 percent cut to his salary. Cody Cazares, who was until recently the chief … Read More
At the the start of a new year, it’s traditional to hope for changes that would improve on last year. And yet, some very dysfunctional aspects of our lives are bound to stay the same, even deteriorate — and the same happens to be true … Read More
The chief of staff for Jack Stick, the former top Texas health official at the center of a criminal inquiry over his handling of a medicaid fraud contract, saw his salary more than double in three years, to $112,000. Cody … Read More
January 2, 2015 — A federal judge has ruled that the 1.9 million children who depend on the Florida Medicaid program for medical and dental care are not receiving the care required by federal law. Federal Judge Adalberto Jordan found … Read More
December 30, 2014 — A new report from the University of North Dakota (UND) found that the state is fighting the same distribution-of-care issues as many other states, despite having one of the highest Medicaid dental reimbursement rates in the … Read More
To be sure, the mishandling of contracts involving tens of millions of dollars in public money by the state Health and Human Services Commission exposes the agency’s grave incompetence in oversight, but also points to a Legislature that has failed … Read More
An Austin tech executive gave political contributions to Republican House Speaker Joe Straus and other lawmakers days before her company sought approval of a $90 million contract that is now the focus of a criminal investigation, a newspaper reported Saturday. … Read More
One of the enduring idiosyncracies of Texas politics is that behavior that would easily raise concerns over corruption in many states is legal, normal, and even encouraged, as when legislators argue that their concurrent business interests give them expertise rather … Read More
Days before a key panel of legislators would be asked last month to rubber-stamp a now-canceled $90 million deal with Austin tech firm 21CT, the company’s chief executive tried to contribute thousands of dollars to the decision-makers. Facing the final … Read More
