By Leila Merrill
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Health Agency improperly paid at least $118.85 million over five years for ambulance transports that often lack documentation and may have been unnecessary, a new audit by the Defense Department inspector general shows.
For the report released Aug. 17, the inspector general’s office reviewed a statistically representative sample of 182 claims from October 2015 to September 2020.
The office projected that of the total $358.1 million that the Defense Health Agency paid for ambulance transports, at least $118.85 million — a third — was improperly paid. The report stated that DHA did not check with its contractors to make sure the claims met reimbursement requirements, the Military Times reported.