Virginia paid $22 million to cover Medicaid Services for deceased patients

A recent federal audit found that Virginia paid nearly $22 million to cover Medicaid Services for patients who had already died. The money was paid out over three years, according to WRIC. The audit found that the state’s Medicaid office, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, accidentally paid out capitation payments. Those are the monthly fixed payments for each enrollee to Medicaid managed care organizations on behalf of dead patients. The payments were on behalf of about 12,000 enrollees. The audit recommended the state recover payments made on behalf of dead Medicaid enrollees in 2018 and 2022, repay the federal share and implement an additional supervisory review. The inspector general’s office recommended that Virginia refund the $15.7 million that is the federal government share of the payments cluster.