Hundreds of Dead NYers Got Enrolled In Medicaid, Obamacare

Flaws in New York’s health exchange resulted in 21 dead people being enrolled in Medicaid and 333 getting continuing government-funded health coverage after they died, according to audit results released Thursday.

The state comptroller’s office reported that its auditors found overpayments of $3.4 million for the year starting Oct. 1, 2013, when the exchange began operating. That included $325,000 in coverage for the deceased.

“Only by chance does New York State of Health receive notification of the death of an enrolled recipient and begin the process to end Medicaid coverage,” the report said.

Auditors faulted “a range of design and process flaws” in the health exchange’s process for checking eligibility. The exchange was established by the state under the federal Obamacare law.

The auditors said the state also issued multiple identification numbers to several thousand adults, children, newborns and even some unborn children who enrolled, resulting in Medicaid overpayments of $2.8 million.

Health officials confirmed that 321 people cited in the audit were dead but said that four are still alive. They’re still checking on the other 29.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the October 30th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.