4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017
Medicaid: Auditors
noted agency initially
withheld information
Continued from Page 1A
The agency found that
over half — about 67,600 —
still qualified and they were
kept on the program. While
24,100 were found ineligi-
ble, the rest didn’t respond
to the state’s inquiries,
and were cut, although the
agency expects that some of
that group will be retroac-
tively re-enrolled.
Auditors
contended
Wednesday that the health
agency’s delay in fixing that
problem caused the agency
to spend $88 million that
could have been avoided.
The health authority
says that the costs were not
avoidable, though, in part
because it is not possible for
the agency to tell whether
someone who received
Medicaid and was found
ineligible on a certain date
would have been ineligible
on some prior date.
The federal government
also requires the agency to
keep people on Medicaid
until they have gone through
a process that officially
determines that they no lon-
ger qualify for the program.
While auditors acknowl-
edged that requirement, they
also said that “regardless,
expenses resulted because
these clients remained on
the caseload past the point
when OHA reported they
should have gone through
an
annual
eligibility
determination.”
Auditors also noted that
the agency initially withheld
information.
“Our audit work was lim-
ited by prior agency man-
agement,” auditors wrote.
“At times, we were pre-
vented direct access to staff,
had our interviews with staff
monitored, had our informa-
tion requests delayed, and
were occasionally provided
with complete and/or inac-
curate information.”
They noted that respon-
siveness improved after a
new director, Patrick Allen,
took the helm in September.
Gov. Kate Brown named
Allen to the post in the wake
of a publicity scandal under
the previous director, Lynne
Saxton. Several other top
leadership positions at the
agency were also vacated.
“ … Today’s audit report
provides the best informa-
tion the audit team could
obtain from OHA’s previous
uncooperative leadership
and administration,” Rich-
ardson said. “The amount
of wasteful and incompetent
spending at OHA has been
staggering and has gone
on for at least the past four
years.”
In response, the Ore-
gon Health Authority Chief
Financial Officer Laura
Robison issued a pub-
lic statement saying “we
can do better.” The agency
acknowledged there was
room for improvement
while challenging the accu-
racy of some characteriza-
tions and assertions in the
final audit document.
“We are making changes
to improve the accuracy and
transparency of our pro-
grams,” Robison said.
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Jail: ‘It’s not big enough’
Continued from Page 1A
“We can’t see everybody
that’s in custody visually,” Lt.
Matt Phillips, the jail’s com-
mander, said.
The technician then checks
to see if the other side of the
entryway is safe. When the
technician isn’t busy doing
that, he or she must also scan
live footage from 64 different
cameras in the building, alert-
ing deputies when an issue
arises.
A lot can happen quickly
in one area of the jail while
the technician is focused on
another area, Phillips said.
“Those 10 to 30 seconds
makes a difference when look-
ing at the different cameras,”
he said. “Some guy could be
getting pummeled. With a bet-
ter designed facility, it would
be easier for him to do his job.”
The jail also has blind
spots, such as the emergency
staircase deputies use to walk
inmates to the recreation area
on the roof of the building. The
staircase has motion detectors
but no video cameras. Mul-
tiple deputies are required to
transfer inmates. A new jail,
however, could include auto-
matic doors that would allow
inmates to walk out to the rec-
reation areas straight from
their cells, Parks said.
Deputies — often saddled
with tasks such as paperwork,
bookings and taking inmates
to court hearings — some-
times are unable to prioritize
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Orion Adamson said he
thought funding for a new
jail in Clatsop County would
improve conditions for him-
self, other inmates and be a
benefit to the community.
recreation hours.
“Roof time is one of the
things that’s important but not
necessary for day-to-day oper-
ations,” Parks said.
On the other hand, a new
jail would present new chal-
lenges when inmates have
court dates. While the down-
town jail sits across the street
from Circuit Court, the pro-
posed site is a 15-minute drive
away.
Inmates would continue
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to appear at arraignment via
video. For other hearings, two
deputies would likely shut-
tle inmates to and from court,
Phillips said.
Deputies often need to be
creative when handling the
quirks of a jail built for a differ-
ent era. In 1980, the jail would
hold only one or two women
at a time, Bergin said. Women
now account for roughly 25
percent of the jail’s population.
Federal law prohibits male
and female inmates from
being able to hear or see each
other from their living quar-
ters. Depending on spacial
needs, men and women some-
times occupy rooms next to
each other. While thick walls
prevent sound from travel-
ing, deputies sometimes place
shower curtains over windows
to limit sight.
‘Not big enough’
Orion Shay Adamson, a
42-year-old inmate who has
stayed in the jail more than 20
times over two decades, said
he and others would benefit
from features such as a work-
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out facility. A previous gym
was closed in 1985 to accom-
modate a laundry room and an
extra dormitory.
Adamson’s most recent
arrest came earlier this month
for unlawful possession of
heroin and methamphetamine.
He doesn’t feel cramped on
a daily basis in his dormitory
that includes others charged
with drug-related crimes.
“For the amount of guys we
have here it’s adequate, but it’s
not big enough for what Mr.
Bergin needs,” Adamson said.
While speaking in a dor-
mitory full of inmates Tues-
day night, Bergin suggested
the new jail could include
expanded mental health
treatment.
“That would be sweet,” one
inmate said.
While recognizing the ben-
efits, Adamson acknowledged
one obvious catch.
“Inmates would not like it
because they would get longer
stays, but the honest citizens
of Astoria and Clatsop County
would probably benefit from a
new jail,” Adamson said.
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