COLUMBIA, S.C. - A blurb on the state's Health and Human Services Department Web site sounds too good to be true: "Medicaid providers: Got a cost saving idea? Get a cash reward!"

While the offer is real, it's not quite as simple as it sounds.

The process for providers to receive up to $500 takes at least a year and involves scrutiny from the agency before any cash is handed out.

"It's not a bad idea, but it's an awful lot of work if you look at what everybody would have to go through to get that $500," said Sue Berkowitz, South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center director who follows Medicaid issues. "Whether they get a lot of takers will be interesting to see."

The new program hasn't generated any submissions yet, spokesman Bryan Kost said.

"The whole idea is our business partners, these providers ... they see a lot of things and might have some good ideas to help save the state some money," Kost said. "We're always looking for cost-saving ideas."

That has been especially true in recent years because state agencies have seen their budgets cut drastically. Gov. Mark Sanford has urged departments to come up with innovative ideas to generate savings, especially Cabinet agencies like Health and Human Services.

Sanford's spokesman Will Folks said agency director Robbie Kerr and his team have consistently looked at ways to maximize savings.

"In addition to restructuring our health care delivery system and focusing more resources on prevention, getting cost-saving ideas from providers is a good idea," Folks said.

The program works like this: An idea is submitted and Kerr forms a committee to review it. The committee's report is reviewed and the director decides if the suggestion should be implemented.

A year after implementation, the committee looks at the idea's effectiveness and ultimately determines if there were savings. If so, the provider is awarded 10 percent of the state's savings up to $500.

Only $500 will be awarded for each suggestion, but individuals can submit more than one idea.

Berkowitz just hopes the idea doesn't affect eligibility or benefits and that providers don't use it to milk Medicaid for more money.

"It's definitely worth a try," she said. "I guess the question would be, hopefully they wouldn't get so many ideas" they'd spend more money seeing if they saved money.

ON THE NET

http://www.dhhs.state.sc.us/