Audit finds fault with oversight of mental health contracts

Raleigh, N.C. — In an audit released Tuesday, the state found that the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees contracted mental health services, lacked the means to keep payments to providers in check.

The Division of Medical Assistance, the DHHS division charged with authorizing services and safeguarding against unnecessary and inappropriate medical care and expenses, was the focus of the audit.

According to the audit, the division failed to monitor or maintain records, resulting in the possibility that the state paid too much for some services, or that services were not delivered as promised.

The audit, which focused on whether systems were in place to ensure that authorizations for services were managed effectively, is one of several initiated in part as a response to recent reports on problems within the state's mental health system.