Secretary of State Kemp Announces Victory in Long Fight to Secure Georgia’s Voter Rolls

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today announced that following the State’s June 22, 2010 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the DOJ consented to preclearance of the State’s voter verification process, including verification of U.S. citizenship. After the DOJ consented to the process, the State filed for and received administrative preclearance from the DOJ. The State and the DOJ therefore have now filed a joint request to have the lawsuit dismissed.

“After nearly two years, we can now verify that voter registration applicants are who they say they are and that they are U.S. citizens,” said Secretary Kemp. “When we filed the lawsuit, I was criticized by some because they believed it would be too time-consuming and expensive. However, after waiting for nearly a year and a half for a final administrative decision from the DOJ, I was certain that litigation was the only way to put Georgia in a position to obtain final approval from the federal government of our voter verification procedures. After the litigation was filed, it took less than two months for the DOJ to consent to preclearance of the verification process.”

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Georgia must obtain federal preclearance of any change affecting voting by bringing a declaratory judgment action in federal court or, in the alternative, by submitting the change to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. In October 2008, the Secretary of State’s Office first submitted the verification process to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. After extended administrative review and numerous discussions with representatives of the State, the DOJ denied administrative preclearance of the State’s voter verification process and later refused to withdraw that denial. During the administrative process, the State provided substantial amounts of information about its verification process, sometimes providing the same information several times.

In June of this year, Secretary Kemp announced that the State of Georgia filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the DOJ to obtain preclearance of the voter verification process. After the lawsuit was filed, the DOJ determined that the verification process did not have a discriminatory effect or purpose and expeditiously consented to the federal approval of the verification procedure. Georgia was previously the only state in the country barred from complying with the federal Help America Vote Act’s voter verification requirement.

Secretary Kemp added, “I am glad the DOJ ultimately recognized the importance of ensuring a secure elections process in Georgia and consented to the Section 5 approval of Georgia’s voter verification process. As Georgia’s Chief Elections Officer, my job is to ensure secure, fair, and accessible elections for every Georgia citizen who is eligible to vote. Every ballot cast by a non-citizen erases a ballot cast by an eligible Georgia voter.”

Under the Help America Vote Act, states are required to verify the information provided by first time voter registration applicants with information currently on file in state or federal databases. In Georgia, the applicant’s first name, last name, date of birth, driver’s license or identification number, last four digits of his or her Social Security number, and United States citizenship status are verified with the Department of Driver Services or Social Security Administration databases to ensure that the information matches.
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Department Of Driver Services (DDS) Schedules Furlough Days

Customer Service Centers Close Once a Month

Department of Driver Services (DDS) has scheduled four (4) furlough days in accordance with a July 22, 2009 directive from the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB).

All DDS customer service centers and administrative offices throughout the state will be closed on the following days:

Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, January 28, 2010

“While the decision to disrupt our customer service efforts is a difficult one, the days selected should minimize impact on customers,” said DDS Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. DDS analyzed historical data to identify days that average fewer completed transactions.

“I continue to take great pride in the resilience, adaptability and dedication of DDS’ Team Members. I appreciate their continued commitment to service during this difficult economic time,” Dozier added.

DDS reminds customers that many transactions including initiating a change of address or replacing a lost license can be done online at www.dds.ga.gov.
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Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta to Pay U.S. $26 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations

Settlement Resolves Investigation of Hospital's Claims for Inpatient Admissions

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta Inc. and Saint Joseph's Health System Inc. have agreed to pay the United States $26 million to settle allegations that the medical facility violated the False Claims Act with regard to billing for inpatient admissions and other services, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement resolves an investigation primarily focusing on Saint Joseph's Hospital's submission of Medicare claims from the years 2000 through 2005, where services that should have been billed as "outpatient visits" were charged at the higher rate as "inpatient admissions."

The settlement covers claims submitted by Saint Joseph's Hospital for short inpatient admissions, usually of one day or less but sometimes longer, where the services were such that they should have been billed on an outpatient "observation" basis or as an emergency room visit. It also covers claims where the hospital admitted patients for three days, without meeting the criteria for a covered admission, so the patients would qualify under Medicare payment rules for subsequent coverage for skilled nursing facility services. In addition, the settlement includes certain claims submitted by the hospital for inpatient admissions relating to placement of carotid artery stents, which were not covered under Medicare benefits.

The qui tam, or whistleblower lawsuit, was filed by Tami Ramsey, a former hospital employee. Ms. Ramsey, a registered nurse, will receive $4.94 million as her share of the recovery in the case.

"This significant settlement demonstrates our commitment to protect public funds from fraud and abuse," said David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. "Every hospital that submits claims to the Medicare program must ensure that its services are billed appropriately. We will continue to vigorously pursue Medicare providers who disregard billing rules."

"Health care providers in the Medicare program have an obligation to turn square corners when dealing with the government," said Jeffrey S. Bucholtz, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. "This means that hospitals must go the extra mile to ensure that any claims for payment they submit to Medicare reflect the correct level of service."

The United States has agreed to dismiss the lawsuit as a result of today's settlement. As a condition of continued participation in federal health care programs, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services has required Saint Joseph's Hospital and Health System to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement. The agreement subjects Saint Joseph's to strict policies and procedures to ensure future compliance with applicable statutes and regulations that govern the use of federal health care funds.

"Any time a false claim is submitted for payment, the Medicare program suffers," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson. "OIG will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable providers who obtain crucial Medicare dollars through inappropriate billing."

The investigation was jointly handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta; the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department's Civil Division; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.