Judge orders Tulsa clinic to furnish records to AG's office

<br> <br>TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ A Tulsa County judge has ordered a clinic that treats children with learning disabilities to surrender records requested by the Attorney General's Office for a Medicaid

Thursday, March 18th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ A Tulsa County judge has ordered a clinic that treats children with learning disabilities to surrender records requested by the Attorney General's Office for a Medicaid fraud investigation.

Tulsa County Special District Judge Darlene Crutchfield set a March 31 hearing on the attorney general's request to hold Tulsa Developmental Pediatrics and Center for Family Psychology in contempt of court.

The attorney general filed the contempt motion Wednesday.

The office wants the clinic to provide patient files, progress notes, billing documents, treatment plans and Medicaid explanations of benefits for 349 patients who used Medicaid as insurance from Jan. 4, 1999, to Nov. 13.

The attorney general agreed to collect the documents March 1 because so many records were requested and because some of them weren't kept at the clinic, according to the motion.

However, Julie Powell-Ward, a managing partner at the clinic that also treats children with autism, behavior problems and emotional issues, told the Attorney General's Office on Monday that no records would be provided, according to the motion.

Powell-Ward is a psychologist, according to the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

Attempts to get comment from Powell-Ward and other staff members were unsuccessful Tuesday and Wednesday, the Tulsa World reported.

Doctors and medical practices that accept Medicaid sign a payment agreement with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. In part, the contract states that medical groups must keep records of services to Medicaid recipients and furnish records to the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit during an audit, review or investigation.

It's not known why the clinic is being investigated.

The records must include consent forms, medical history, health assessments and other requirements.

In accepting payment from the OHCA, doctors and medical groups must ``certify that the services submitted for payment were provided,'' the agreement states.

Charlie Price, a spokesman for the Attorney General, said the subpoena was part of an ongoing investigation and that he couldn't comment.