Auditor general to watch Alberta Health, WCB

The province's Auditor general will keep close tabs on Alberta Health and Workers' Compensation Board administrative policies to make sure double billing by doctors doesn't happen again.

The province's Auditor general will keep close tabs on Alberta Health and Workers' Compensation Board administrative policies to make sure double billing by doctors doesn't happen again.

After being alerted to a discrepancy four years ago by a Sherwood Park woman who came across the extra billing in her medical file, Frank Dunn discovered nearly 10,000 incidents where doctors billed both organizations for the same procedures or services.

Double dipping by doctors cost taxpayers $718,785 in 2005-06 alone.

"The ministry has acknowledged the problem and believes it is doing something about it," assistant auditor general Merwan Saher said yesterday.

"Our next actions would be when we do followup audits where we look to see what change has taken place and whether we think that change will meet the need."

The next followup audit is expected to take place in June or July.

An Alberta Health spokesman said earlier this week they are working with the WCB to set up an information-sharing system to prevent similar abuses. It has not been determined if any money will be recovered or if charges will be laid.