Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 122, No. 256 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
October 25, 2013
www.rdrnews.com
FRIDAY
King: Reports possible soon on mental health fraud
SANTA FE (AP) — Attorney General Gary King said Thursday his office may soon finish investigations into fraud allegations against some behavioral health providers shut off from Medicaid payments by Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration. King told the Legislative Finance Committee that he hoped to issue reports before the end of this year on some of the 14 nonprofit organizations that in late June were suspended from receiving Medicaid reim-
bursement for mental health and substance abuse services. He cautioned lawmakers that it could take longer, however. The Human Services Department referred allegations of fraud, mismanagement and overbilling to King’s office for investigation. Details of the allegations have not been publicly released. “We have some cases where we have made significant progress but we aren’t ready to report on the outcome of those yet,”
of allegations against all the providers. He said investigators have collected a mountain of documents that must be examined and are interviewing staff and clients of some providers. “I don’t know that we can go a lot faster,” King said. There are a range of possible outcomes from the investigations other than criminal fraud requiring prosecution, he said. There could be overbillings or civil fraud, in which the state could try to recover money from the providers. It’s also
King told lawmakers. Legislators are upset that providers weren’t given a chance to review and respond to the allegations before the state froze their payments. Lawmakers also have expressed worries about a disruption of services for needy New Mexicans even though the department has contracted with Arizona companies to take over for the suspended providers. King wouldn’t speculate on when investigators would complete their review
Mark Wilson Photo
Students pledge to stay drug free
Students from from Sunset Elementary and Sidney Gutierrez Elementary ready for the annual Red Ribbon Week parade, Thursday afternoon.
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
Red shirts swar med South Main Street as more than 600 elementary school kids and parents
marched in a parade. Two miles in the afternoon sun, but the children didn’t seem to mind. Even in their exhaustion, little voices yelled out, “Be drug free! Be drug free!”
Police officers, including the Sheriff’s Department and the State Police, as well as Roswell firefighters marched with the kids and acted as escorts for the parade.
It was a cause they all tackled with enthusiasm: teach the children to be drug free. This was all done through the tradiSee PLEDGE, Page A3
possible that no wrongdoing will be uncovered. In response to a lawmaker’s question, King acknowledged the mental health provider dispute could potentially continue for years if there are lawsuits or prosecutions. The department has said it concluded there was evidence of fraud — enough to forward to the attor ney general for investigation — based on information from a company that manages billings for the state’s behavioral health program.
The information came from whistleblowers and an audit done by Bostonbased Public Consulting Group. The agency commissioned the audit by the private firm. However, only heavily redacted portions of it have been released publicly. King said some portions of the audit can’t be disclosed because of the ongoing investigation. “The audit itself is not likely to be the basis for criminal charges. It is a starting point,” King said.
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
SCP’s new incarnation, the Safety Net Care Pool, is slated to begin in 2014. Medicaid also is changing its name and will be remodeled next year. It will become known as Centennial Care in January. Easter n New Mexico Medical Center and Lovelace Health System are among the state-designated community hospitals that will see an increase in compensation rates for Medicaid claims and a possible dip in coverage of claims that go unpaid by low-income, uninsured patients. The state remodeled SCP in order to qualify for a special waiver from federal department Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The waiver allows New Mexico to operate its Medicaid program along special guidelines the state determines itself. The state Human Services Department has pro-
SCP overhaul may require changes to use of county taxes Este articulo explica como cambiará el programa Sole Community Provider en el 2014. El programa incluye fondos para los Servicios de Salud para los Indigentes. Este domingo, el periódico tendrá una versión en español del articulo. This article explains how the Sole Community Provider Program is going to change in 2014. The program includes funds for Indigent Health Care Services. There will be a Spanish version of the article in the Sunday paper. A follow-up piece on the possible impact of the changes on health care in Chaves County will run Saturday. An overhaul to New Mexico’s Sole Community Provider Program, which falls under the umbrella of Medicaid, will require a new funding scheme for some programs at hospitals enrolled in the program across the state.
Trujillo a person of County sheriff remembers state prison riot interest in homicide
The Roswell Police Department responded to the parking lot at Variety Liquor & Lounge, 1100 W. Second St., to investigate a homicide that occurred Wednesday around 11:30 p.m. The victim was identified as 25-year-old Victor Oaxaca. No further information is being released at this
time. However, the RPD have named a person of interest, one Christopher Trujillo.
Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Trujillo is asked to contact RPD Detective Northcutt (575624-6770), or Crime Stoppers (1-888-5948477).
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Chaves County Sheriff Rob Coon will attend a tour of the Old Main Prison building, today, where the Penitentiary of New Mexico riot took place on Feb. 2, 1980. The event marks a dark place in New Mexico history, which the state is hoping to turn into an asset. Department of Corrections Public Information
Officer Alex Tomlin said that the department planned a tour on Friday for first responders, survivors, legislators and religious leaders to provide closure and help heal old wounds.
The DOC also plans to open up the Old Main Prison facility to the public as a museum so others can learn the hard-won lessons of the past. The tour will be an opportunity to present the purpose of
Student talent shines at Super Celebration AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadets stand in formation during the National Character Counts! Week Super Celebration at Roswell High School, Thursday evening.
HIGH 70 LOW 45
TODAY’S FORECAST
In the spacious Roswell High School cafeteria, the red chairs and yellow Youth Challenge shirts really stood out. But also drawing attention with even more colors were six paper stars in the center of every round table. Blue, orange, purple, yellow, green, red: the colors were bright and positive, but also symbolic. Each star represented a pillar of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fair ness, caring and citizenship. The cutouts, however, were not the only stars in the room. As part of Character Counts! Week, stu-
• GLORIA JEAN HUFF • ROSEMARY CASTRO BECERRA
dents in first-grade through college submitted essays, poems and art. The winners for each category and in each grade division were announced at the Super Celebration Wednesday night. Isabella Vandenburg entered her essay for the second time and this year, she walked away victorious, winning the essay award for second-third grade. “It’s just about beauty,” she explained. Beauty in her explanation meant inner beauty, not outward appearance. The topic was something her whole family inspired her to write about, she said. See CELEBRATION, Page A3
• EVIA WILLIAMS OTERO • ETHEL “IRENE” MONTGOMERY
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
the museum and DOC’s goals. Coon is the last of the first responders who remains in law enforcement. “I was 30 years old when it happened. That was 33 years ago. I was a member of the (New Mexico State Police) SWAT Tactical team.” Although he and his fellow officers were trained for such situations, the reality was stark. “I was called in by my supervisor
See OVERHAUL, Page A3
and told there was a riot at the state penitentiary.” The team traveled the entire 200 miles from Alamogordo to the prison with red lights and sirens. “As luck would have it in New Mexico, it started to snow. By the time we reached Lamy Junction 20 miles south of Santa Fe, we could see the smoke and we could smell it.” When Coon and the
Pearce and pink
See RIOT, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
Congressman Steve Pearce chats with attendees celebrating Paint the Town Pink at the Roswell Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center's Cancer Center, Thursday evening.
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