Complaint Review: MBI International Health Services

 Good Morning All and Human Resources:

Please accept this email as my official 30 day notice of resignation. I just got out of GW Hospital. I cannot continue to accept this low reimbursement; my check yesterday was only for $320.00; I was shocked and almost lost my mine. I just do not understand. I work every day, Monday through Friday, 9am till 5pm. The Project Empowerment Staff was larger than mine. I am a LICSW with 30 years of Professional experience in behavioral health. I would like to thank you and all of the MBI Health Services Staff for giving me such a wonderful Opportunity to work with so many wonderful people who are doing so many great things in the behavioral healthcare arena.

Please continue to direct my checks into my direct deposit account in the weeks to come. I have to complete a remaining 9 diagnostic assessments, my group and individual notes. I will have all of these items completed by May 01, 2014. I will be by sometimes this week to take my licenses off the wall and pick up my paper work that I need to complete. I will email the completed work to you and come by and sign it after you have reviewed it. My goal is to have everything complete by May 1, 2014. Please reassign everyone on my schedule to another Clinician and please do not assign me any more consumers.

Again, Thanks.
James E. Myricks, LICSW
427 Mellon Street, SE
Apartment 3
Washington, DC 20032
April 1, 2014

On March 11, 2014 at 7:43 PM James Myricks <jmyricks@mbihs.com> wrote:
Good Evening Mr. Hunter:
I hope all is well. I talked with our CEO, Mr. Charles Avery, just before I left the office today to request a meeting regarding several items which I will speak to below. Unfortunately, he was in a Meeting. I want to clarify up front that I am not complaining because I really enjoy working with the staff and consumers at MBI. I also enjoy the additional work that I perform for MBI: filling in for the Mental Health Education Group on Tuesday from 10 till 11, The Anger Management Group on Wednesdays from 3:30pm to 4:30 pm, and the Anger Management Group on Friday from 10 till 11. I have conducted the Wednesday Anger Management Group for MBI since Mr. Avery had been called to work at the Pennsylvania Avenue Office; this is not a problem.
It is my understanding that I would be reimbursed $100.00 from MBI Health Services for providing Diagnostic Assessment Services for CORE consumers. In addition to this, I have a Consumer who is inactive that I provided D & A services. I think this could have been avoided if consumers are EVS daily when they arrive for behavioral health services: D & A, Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Community Support Services, Psychiatric Care, and Day Program. I personally know from working for Medicaid and the Chartered Health Plan MCO that the insurance statuses of consumers change daily. In other words, a group of consumers (thousands) could have straight Medicaid today and be switched tomorrow to a MCO, Medicare, Terminated, or an Indemnity Plan. I just cannot afford to take the deduction from my pay for providing D & A services for inactive consumers. I have also inadvertently provided both D & A and Individual therapy services for a Consumer who has BC/BS which MBI does not service. I have connected very well with this Consumer and do not want to stop providing bh services to her.  I told you that I am a Medicare Provider (since 1985) and am on most the insurance list and would be more than glad to transfer my Insurance Provider Number to MBI for Payment. I could also supervise other master level non-licensed and LGSW who provided services for these other insurances for reimbursement.
Secondly, after I complete the D & A s and Treatment Plans in the CORE Program, I am completing and authorizing the consumer to receive several BH services: community support services, Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Psychiatric Care, etc. A $60.00 reimbursement rate is pretty low for authorizing all of these BH services for Treatment.  I am completing an array of Diagnostic Assessment services which include the following: The D & A, the Crisis Plan, The Gains, The Treatment Plan, and the Calocus/Locus.

Thirdly, you always come to me just before payday (1 0r 2 days) when I have submitted my invoices daily to let me know that I will not be getting paid for this or that, and there is nothing that you can do about it because the checks have already been processed.  As I have already told you in my previous email dated last week that a check for #350.00 for the work I render over a two week period is too low. What do I need to do to correct this matter?
Finally, I do not understand the reason for the difference in the reimbursement rate for MCO verses straight Medicaid. I personally worked for Chartered Health Plan/Beacon Health Strategies for 4 years and did the authorization and paid $300.00 for Code 90801(for a 3 hour Diagnostic Assessment). I have also worked for 3 other MCO in the District: Universal, ICFS, and Trinity Square and the Usual Customary Rate (USR) is $150.00 a D & A, $100.00 at the lowest, not $60.00 dollars.
I would like to thank you in advance for your usual understanding and cooperation.
Again, thanks.

James E. Myricks, LICSW
3/11/14

On March 9, 2014 at 2:04 PM James Myricks <jmyricks@mbihs.com> wrote:

Thank you so very much!!
   > > > On March 4, 2014 at 3:16 PM carlos hunter    > > > <carloshunter121@gmail.com> wrote:

 Your rate is MCO $60per consumer    CORE $100 per consumer
   On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 3:14 PM, James Myricks <jmyricks@mbihs.com <mailto:jmyricks@mbihs.com> > wrote:      > > > >      Good Afternoon Mr. Hunter:

   I am writing you this email to inquire about the amount of my last pay check for the amount of $350.00. I have performed numerous DAs since 12/23/14 which include;      1. The 6 page Diagnostic Assessment      2. The Treatment Plan      3. The Crisis Plan      4. The Gain      5. The Locus or Calocus3
     It takes up to 3 hours to complete the above items, including typing the D & A. I am asking you to please review completed work that I submitted to Derrick and Ms. Guillory,      and adjust my pay accordingly. I would also like for you to review the contract that I signed with Mr. Avery and Ms. Wilkerson to perform D & A services; I think that you may have the wrong rate which I consider to be just a misunderstanding.
     Thanks for your cooperation and understanding in advance.      Again, thanks.
     James E. Myricks, LICSW      diagnostician      3/4/14    > > >

  > >

 >