Audit Finds That Maryland Behavioral Health ASO Made $223.5 Million In Improper Payments

An audit by the Maryland General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) found that the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and Medical Care Programs Administration (MCPA), as part of the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), did not ensure that a contractor-provided claims processing system was functioning properly before it was launched. As a result, approximately $223.5 million in payments to provider organizations for behavioral health services lacked proper documentation or haven’t been recovered. The system also lacked “critical claim payment information to provider organizations” so that reconciliations could be performed.

The report also found that the administrative . . .