By Hank Russell
A recent review of Nassau County’s payments to Nassau Health Care Corporation (NHCC) over a ten-year period for the County’s portion of certain benefits for employees and retirees of Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) and A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility revealed that adjustments made by the Nassau County Comptroller’s office to these payments saved the County $2.62 million between 2014 and 2023.
“Because NUMC used to be a Nassau County facility, the County is responsible for a portion of termination pay and health insurance premiums for employees who worked for the County but were transferred into the NHCC system when the County transferred the hospital back in 1999,” the office of Nassau COunty Comptroller Elaine Philipps said in a statement. “It’s a diminishing liability, as employees retire and pass away, but for now, the County is billed for its portion by NHCC.”
The Comptroller’s auditors routinely check all invoices for accuracy prior to the County paying the bills. They disallow any inappropriate or incorrect charges and adjust the payment accordingly. In the case of NHCC, disallowances related to timing (billing too soon), eligibility (for Medicare or Disability), and other criteria.
In addition to saving the County money, the Comptroller’s process of identifying and highlighting billing issues has led to important improvements in NHCC’s billing process, which have significantly reduced the number of discrepancies and disallowances in recent years.
Since NHCC’s accounting staff began coordinating with the Comptroller’s Office to improve its billing process, disallowances have dropped from an average of 800 disallowances totaling approximately $409,206 per year to an average of 237 disallowances per year with an average annual total of $137,270.
According to the review, Nassau will no longer be available for a share of any termination payments. Further, it is anticipated that the county’s health insurance premium share obligations to NHCC will average $14.4 million over the next 10 years to 2034 and will be $0 by the end of 2089.
In 2029 the County will no longer be responsible for any bond debt guarantee payments, according to the review.
“Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars through diligence, attention to detail, and improvement of processes,” the comptroller’s office said in a statement. “Her audits yield real results and have constructive, tangible outcomes.”
However, Legislator Seth I. Koslow (D-Merrick) was unimpressed.
“The Comptroller’s last-ditch audit may have saved a few bucks, but it’s far too little, far too late,” he told Long Island Life & Politics. “This administration has driven NUMC into the ground — financially and operationally — leaving workers in limbo and patients at risk. The state is stepping in now to stop the bleeding before more damage is done.”