It has come to my attention that the managed care organizations (MCOs) are spreading non-truths.  As to appeal rights and rights, in general, of a Medicaid provider.  You may not hear the truth elsewhere, but you will hear the truth here.

Supposedly, the truth shall set you free. If this is true, then why do so many people lie? I believe that people’s desire for money, power, status, greed and/or others to look at them with respect are the some of the catalysts of many lies.

Of course, our old friend Aesop told many tales of the virtue of honesty.  My favorite is the “Mercury and the Woodman.”

A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe,
glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water.
As he stood by the water’s edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared
and asked him the reason for his grief. On learning what had happened,
out of pity for his distress, Mercury dived into the river and,
bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost.
The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second
time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. “No,
that is not mine either,” said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived
into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was
overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor
warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made
him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story
to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good
fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and
began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived
to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and,
on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a
golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting
to be asked whether it was his or not, the fellow cried, “That’s mine,
that’s mine,” and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but
Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined
to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the
one he had let fall into the stream.

The moral of the story is “Honesty is the best policy.”

But is it?  In our world, we do not have fairies, Roman gods, good witches, fairy godmothers, wood sprites, or wizards to hold us accountable for our lies.  If George Washington never admitted that he chopped down the cherry tree, no wood nymph would have appeared, angered by his lie, only to throw his ax into the Potomac.

So who holds us accountable for lies?

As a Christian, I believe that I will be held accountable in my afterlife.  But, without getting too profound and soapbox-ish, I mean who…NOW…presently…in our lives…holds us accountable for lies?

Obviously, when we were children, our parents held us accountable.  Oh boy…the worst thing for me to hear growing up was for my father to say, “I am so disappointed in you.” 

What about the MCOs? Who or what holds the MCOs accountable? And what is this non-truth that the MCOs may or may not be telling providers that has spurred me to write this blog?

Recently, many MCOs have (1) terminated contracts with providers; (2) refused to renew contracts with providers; and (3) conducted desk reviews and interviews of providers only to decide to not contract with many providers; thus leaving many small businesses to bankruptcy and closure…not to mention severing the relationships between the Medicaid recipients and their providers.

It has come to my attention that, when the MCO is asked by a provider whether the provider can have a reconsideration review or whether the provider has any appeal rights as to the MCO’s adverse decision, that the MCOs are telling providers, “No.”  As in, you have no appeal rights as to the MCOs decision to not contract with you. 

This is simply not true.

There are so few providers in NC willing to accept Medicaid because of the administrative burden of Medicaid regulations and the already low reimbursement rates.  To then have the audacity to “willy nilly” or at its own whim subjectively decide that it [the MCO] does not want to contract with you and then tell you that its “willy nilly” or subjective whim cannot be challenged legally eats at the heart of this country’s core values.  Do we not applaud small business owners?  Do we not applaud those small business owners dedicated to serving the population’s most needy?  Do we not promote due process?  Do we not promote truth, justice and the American way?

Or are those promotions clouded when it comes to money, power, status, greed, and desire for respect?

So, I say to you [providers who have been denied a Medicaid contract with an MCO despite having a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide Medicaid services throughout the state of North Carolina], YOU HAVE RIGHTS. 

You do not need to merely accept the decision of the MCO.  You do not need to simply close up shop…fire your staff…and try a new career.  You have a choice to fight…legally.

But you DO need to know a few things.

First, lawyers are expensive. Period and without question.  So whatever law firm you hire, understand that the cost will more than you ever expected.  (Please understand that I am not advocating you to hire my firm.  Parker Poe and Poyner Spruill both have fantastic attorneys in this area.  Just hire someone knowledgable.)  It’s even a good idea to have consultations with more than one firm.  Find an attorney you trust.

Second, call your liability insurance.  There is a chance that your liability insurance will cover all, or a portion of, your attorneys’ fees.  But do not allow your insurance company tell you whom to hire.  Because this area is specialized there are few attorneys well-versed.  Again, go to the firms I mentioned above.

Thirdly, you may not win.  While the success rate is extremely high, there are some clients who are simply not going to win.  For example, if your documentation is so poor.  Or, for example, you really are not a great provider.  Remember, the MCOs do have a point to try to only contract with great providers.  I only disagree with the way in which the MCOs are deciding to not contract with providers.  It seems “willy nilly” and subjectively arbitrary.  But, depending on your exact circumstances, you do have a chance of success.

Fourth, you will have to testify.  I know it is scary, but I can think of very few circumstances during which the provider would not testify.  The judge needs to hear your story….why you should be allowed to continue to provide Medicaid services.

Fifth, the lawsuit will not shield you from future issues with the MCO.  Until DHHS decides to actually supervise the MCOs properly (or maybe even after that), the MCOs seem to wield the power.

So why even fight legally?  You certainly aren’t guaranteed success.  It will certainly cost you a pretty penny. 

Maybe the answer for you is to not fight.  Only you can make that decision.  But I hope someone holds the MCOs accountable for telling providers that the providers have no recourse…no appeal rights…for the MCOs simply not contracting with the provider.

Because if honesty is the best policy, the MCOs’ policies leave much to be desired. Someone needs to throw their axes into the Potomac!