Audit of the Office of Inspector General Excluded Providers in Mississippi

December 13, 2002

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The objective of this review was to determine whether the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) had adequate internal controls to prevent providers that had been excluded from participating in federal health care programs by the Office of Inspector General from being enrolled in and paid by the Medicaid program.  We found that the Mississippi DOM did not have adequate internal controls to prevent payments to such providers.  As a result, the DOM paid $358,761 to excluded providers during state fiscal years 1997 through 2002.  Improved internal controls are needed to prevent excluded providers from participating in the Medicaid program.