Audit 18127

FY End
2022-09-30
Total Expended
$48.74M
Findings
4
Programs
6
Organization: Southcoast Health System, Inc. (MA)
Year: 2022 Accepted: 2023-06-29

Organization Exclusion Status:

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Contacts

Name Title Type
KDU9TMGM2TH6 Michael Knoll Auditee
5089732948 Kevin McGraw Auditor
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Notes to SEFA

Title: Provider Relief Funds Accounting Policies: The accompanying schedule of expenditures of federal awards (the "Schedule") includes the federal grant activity of Southcoast Health System Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "System") under programs of the federal government for the year ended September 30, 2022. The information in this Schedule is presented in accordance with the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). Because the Schedule presents only a selected portion of the operations of the System, it is not intended to and does not present the financial position, results of operations and changes in net assets or cash flows of the System. Expenditures reported on the Schedule are reported on the accrual basis of accounting. Amounts reported on the Schedule include replacement of lost revenue and eligible expenditures. Such expenditures are recognized following the cost principles contained in the Uniform Guidance, wherein certain types of expenditures are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement. Pass-through entity identifying numbers are presented when available. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: For purposes of charging indirect costs to federal awards, the System has not elected to use the 10 percent de minimis cost rate as permitted by ?200.414 of the Uniform Guidance. The Schedule includes grant activity related to the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") Provider Relief Fund and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Distribution Assistance Listing Number 93.498. As required based on guidance in the 2022 OMB Compliance Supplement, the Schedule includes all Period 2 funds received between July 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and expended by December 31, 2021 as reported to HRSA via the PRF Reporting Portal. The System did not receive any Period 3 funds. Given the timing covered by Period 2 funds, these expenses and lost revenues were reflected in the System's fiscal year 2021 financial statements. Additionally, lost revenue does not represent an expenditure in the System's financial statements and thus is a reconciling item between the federal expenses in the System's financial statements and the amount included on the Schedule.

Finding Details

2022-001 Provider Relief Fund Lost Revenue Payor Classification Cluster: Not applicable Grantor: Health Resources and Services Administration Award Names: COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural Distribution Award Year: PRF Period 2 Period of Availability from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 Award Number: Not applicable Assistance Listing Numbers: 93.498 Criteria Reporting entities were required to submit revenues/net charges from patient care (prior to netting with expenses) incurred within the period of availability, by payer mix (including out of pocket charges), and by quarter for each quarter during the period of availability up to June 30, 2023, the end of the quarter in which the Public Health Emergency ends. Condition As we were performing our lost revenue tie out procedures, we noted the Net Charges from Patient Care by Payer (?Net Charges?) were inaccurately reported in the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal Submission. More specifically, the System transposed the referenced Net Charges in the `Total Revenue/Net Charges from Patient Care (2021 Actuals)? table by the following: ? For Q2 (2021), the System understated the Medicaid/Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) payer and overstated the Commercial Insurance payer Net Charges by $2,222,668. ? For Q3 (2021), the System understated Medicaid/Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by $973,100, understated Commercial Insurance by $289,399, and overstated Self-Pay (No Insurance) by $1,262,499. ? For Q4 (2021), the System understated Medicaid/Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by $411,383, understated Commercial Insurance by $99,064, and overstated Self-Pay (No Insurance) by $510,447. As Net Charges were transposed between payers, there was no impact to the total revenue and lost revenue calculation reported in the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal Submission. Cause Management did not have a control in place to perform a second level of review to check the accuracy of the reporting at the time of completing the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal submission. Effect Net Charges from Patient Care by Payer for were inaccurately reported in the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal Submission. Questioned Costs None identified. Recommendation We recommend that management implement a second level of review over the PRF Reporting Portal submissions. Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan are included at the end of this report after the summary schedule of prior audit findings and status.
2022-002 ? Insurance payments not fully deducted from FEMA funding Cluster: Not applicable Grantor: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Award Names: COVID-19 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters) Award Year: January 20, 2020 ? July 1, 2022 Award Number: 4496DR-MA Assistance Listing Numbers: 97.036 Pass-through entity: Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (?MEMA?) Criteria FEMA guidance indicates that costs incurred as a result of an incident must be reduced by all applicable credits, such as insurance proceeds and salvage values (Stafford Act section 312, 42 USC section 5155 and 2 CFR section 200.406) Condition Through our testing of 60 direct costs associated with the System?s FEMA projects that were obligated in fiscal year 2022, 6 transactions totaling $1.4M were tested related to COVID-19 PCR tests that were purchased by the System from 2 vendors. These tests were administered to patients and System personnel and to the extent eligible, they were billed to the patients? or employees? third-party insurance company. As such, when compiling information for their FEMA application, the System completed an analysis showing total PCR tests purchased and the associated cost and deducted third-party insurance payments received associated with these PCR tests. The System calculated the third-party insurance deduction by developing an average third-party insurance payment rate per test. When performing our review of the average third-party insurance payment calculation, we noted management inappropriately included employee PCR tests not subject to reimbursement in the calculation of the average rate per test. As a result, management used an estimated average rate per test of $79 to calculate the third-party insurance deduction instead of an estimated average rate per test of $84. The impact of the change in average rate per test results in the System understating the third-party insurance payments by approximately $218,000. Cause Management?s review of the calculation did not identify the formula error in the calculation of the average payment rate per reimbursed PCR test. Effect The System?s FEMA application was overstated, resulting in an overpayment by FEMA related to the System?s PCR tests. Questioned Costs $218,000 Recommendation We recommend that management enhance their controls over the review of their third-party insurance payment calculation to ensure the accuracy of the information provided to FEMA. Additionally, we understand management continues to have conversations with MEMA over different aspects of the third-party insurance payment calculation and we recommend through those discussions the System, along with MEMA and FEMA, as applicable, determine whether there are any amounts that should be reimbursed to FEMA. Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan are included at the end of this report after the summary schedule of prior audit findings and status.
2022-001 Provider Relief Fund Lost Revenue Payor Classification Cluster: Not applicable Grantor: Health Resources and Services Administration Award Names: COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural Distribution Award Year: PRF Period 2 Period of Availability from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 Award Number: Not applicable Assistance Listing Numbers: 93.498 Criteria Reporting entities were required to submit revenues/net charges from patient care (prior to netting with expenses) incurred within the period of availability, by payer mix (including out of pocket charges), and by quarter for each quarter during the period of availability up to June 30, 2023, the end of the quarter in which the Public Health Emergency ends. Condition As we were performing our lost revenue tie out procedures, we noted the Net Charges from Patient Care by Payer (?Net Charges?) were inaccurately reported in the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal Submission. More specifically, the System transposed the referenced Net Charges in the `Total Revenue/Net Charges from Patient Care (2021 Actuals)? table by the following: ? For Q2 (2021), the System understated the Medicaid/Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) payer and overstated the Commercial Insurance payer Net Charges by $2,222,668. ? For Q3 (2021), the System understated Medicaid/Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by $973,100, understated Commercial Insurance by $289,399, and overstated Self-Pay (No Insurance) by $1,262,499. ? For Q4 (2021), the System understated Medicaid/Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by $411,383, understated Commercial Insurance by $99,064, and overstated Self-Pay (No Insurance) by $510,447. As Net Charges were transposed between payers, there was no impact to the total revenue and lost revenue calculation reported in the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal Submission. Cause Management did not have a control in place to perform a second level of review to check the accuracy of the reporting at the time of completing the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal submission. Effect Net Charges from Patient Care by Payer for were inaccurately reported in the PRF Period 2 Reporting Portal Submission. Questioned Costs None identified. Recommendation We recommend that management implement a second level of review over the PRF Reporting Portal submissions. Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan are included at the end of this report after the summary schedule of prior audit findings and status.
2022-002 ? Insurance payments not fully deducted from FEMA funding Cluster: Not applicable Grantor: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Award Names: COVID-19 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters) Award Year: January 20, 2020 ? July 1, 2022 Award Number: 4496DR-MA Assistance Listing Numbers: 97.036 Pass-through entity: Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (?MEMA?) Criteria FEMA guidance indicates that costs incurred as a result of an incident must be reduced by all applicable credits, such as insurance proceeds and salvage values (Stafford Act section 312, 42 USC section 5155 and 2 CFR section 200.406) Condition Through our testing of 60 direct costs associated with the System?s FEMA projects that were obligated in fiscal year 2022, 6 transactions totaling $1.4M were tested related to COVID-19 PCR tests that were purchased by the System from 2 vendors. These tests were administered to patients and System personnel and to the extent eligible, they were billed to the patients? or employees? third-party insurance company. As such, when compiling information for their FEMA application, the System completed an analysis showing total PCR tests purchased and the associated cost and deducted third-party insurance payments received associated with these PCR tests. The System calculated the third-party insurance deduction by developing an average third-party insurance payment rate per test. When performing our review of the average third-party insurance payment calculation, we noted management inappropriately included employee PCR tests not subject to reimbursement in the calculation of the average rate per test. As a result, management used an estimated average rate per test of $79 to calculate the third-party insurance deduction instead of an estimated average rate per test of $84. The impact of the change in average rate per test results in the System understating the third-party insurance payments by approximately $218,000. Cause Management?s review of the calculation did not identify the formula error in the calculation of the average payment rate per reimbursed PCR test. Effect The System?s FEMA application was overstated, resulting in an overpayment by FEMA related to the System?s PCR tests. Questioned Costs $218,000 Recommendation We recommend that management enhance their controls over the review of their third-party insurance payment calculation to ensure the accuracy of the information provided to FEMA. Additionally, we understand management continues to have conversations with MEMA over different aspects of the third-party insurance payment calculation and we recommend through those discussions the System, along with MEMA and FEMA, as applicable, determine whether there are any amounts that should be reimbursed to FEMA. Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan Management?s Views and Corrective Action Plan are included at the end of this report after the summary schedule of prior audit findings and status.