DSHS careful, vigilant in its expenditures
To the Editor, Seattle PI:
The state auditor claims that the state Department of Social and Health Services has been irresponsibly spending taxpayer money in the Medicaid program. On the contrary. As a member of the state's Medical Assistance Advisory Committee for the past nine years, I am acutely aware that the agency is careful and vigilant in its expenditures -- increasingly so in recent years.
At the heart of the problem between the auditor and DSHS is that the program addresses individual health care needs, so the agency must evaluate claims in gray areas. Many of the "errors" cited by the auditor involve highly complex interfaces of federal and state regulation and legal decisions. In some of these areas, courts order the state to pay for health care costs because they are medically necessary.
In addition, the auditor's report was one-sided -- he examined only overexpenditures. He failed to look at whether there were any errors in denying people medical coverage, which cause people on Medicaid to go without needed care.
The Medicaid program is not spending irresponsibly -- on the contrary, it operates much more efficiently than commercial insurance companies, and it provides essential health benefits for almost 1 million Washingtonians.
Janet Varon
Executive Director
Northwest Health Law Advocates
Seattle
May 3rd, 2006 Seattle PI