Measure B Proponent Has Long History of Ripping off Taxpayers

Opponents of L.A. County Measure B today disclosed what it calls “a long pattern of double-billing and over-charging” by Measure B’s proponent, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). The No on Government Waste Committee has revealed government audits which demonstrate actions by AHF that potentially cost taxpayers millions of dollars, including:

An August 16, 2012 audit by the Los Angeles County Department of Auditor-Controller showed that AHF overbilled the Department of Public Health by $1.7 million for contracts worth $8.5 million from January 2008 to March 2009. The audit also found about $20,000 in undocumented and unallowable expenditures. The Auditor-Controller has asked AHF to determine the amount of overbilling for subsequent years;

Two separate audits by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration on February 16, 2010, and August 29, 2006, showed AHF billed Medicaid for pharmaceutical drugs that were not purchased or dispensed to patients. The 2010 audit showed Medicaid overpaid AHF by $8,117.42 and the 2006 audit showed the overpayment was $73,595.80. The agency also fined AHF $3,435.22 in 2010 and $5,000 in 2006;

In a June 3, 2010 examination by the California Department of Managed Care of 59 claims paid by AHF, auditors found problems with AHF’s accounting and billing practices that resulted in AHF underpaying claims submitted to them for medical services provided to policyholders of Positive Healthcare, AHF’s privately-owned insurance plan; and

In May 13, 2005, the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller found AHF was double-billing L.A. County and Medi-Cal for the same patients receiving hospice service at the Carl Bean House over an eight-month period from March 2004 through December 2004. AHF kept $348,000 in overpayments and refused to repay it to the county and argued that it had been double-billing since 1992 and were entitled to the additional funds due to the low-reimbursement rate from Medi-Cal.

“AHF has a long history of shoddy bookkeeping that has costs taxpayers and with Measure B it has once again put forth another taxpayer-funded debacle. For a non-profit organization that receives the bulk of its funding from taxpayer-supported Medicare and Medicaid insurance payments, the question should be at the top of every regulator and elected official’s mind ‘Just what the heck is AHF doing with scarce taxpayer dollars?’” Lee said. “If nothing else comes out of this election, a thorough investigation of AHF’s books, especially its use of potential taxpayer dollars to fund political activity, should be at the top of every investigators to-do list.”

Measure B, funded and placed on the ballot by AHF, would require the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to license and permit adult movie productions in the county and require performers to wear condoms and create an unworkable system of on-set inspections and enforcement by county personnel.

The county estimates initial start-up costs for the program to be in excess of $300,000, but acknowledges that regardless of the level of compliance by the adult film industry, there would be significant cost to the Department of Public Health.