A judge ruled in the County’s favor Thursday afternoon in a dispute with the West Volusia Hospital Authority over the authority’s refusal to pay its share of its Medicaid financial responsibility. At stake is nearly $2.5 million in payments that the Volusia County Council determined the authority is responsible for.
The dispute stems from the Medicaid payments that all three hospital districts in the county – including the West Volusia Hospital Authority – have traditionally paid every year. Last November, the County Council determined the allocation of the annual Medicaid bill for the three districts. But the West Volusia Hospital Authority balked at paying its share, claiming that it shouldn’t have to pay because it doesn’t own or operate a hospital anymore. The County countered that the citizens of West Volusia use Medicaid just like in the other two hospital districts and the authority saves money by encouraging its clients to enroll in Medicaid rather than its health program. Therefore, the County contended, the district benefits from the Medicaid program and should be required to pay its share.
With the Hospital Authority refusing to pay, the County Council voted on Feb. 15 to take the authority to court. The County’s legal team filed the complaint in circuit court on Feb. 22 – called a petition for writ of mandamus – asking the court to order the Hospital Authority to pay its Medicaid responsibility for the current fiscal year – a total of $2,496,810. The Hospital Authority subsequently filed a motion seeking to dismiss the suit.
On Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Weston denied the authority’s motion to dismiss the suit and granted the County’s final writ of mandamus.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up