Audit 294603

FY End
2023-06-30
Total Expended
$9.93M
Findings
10
Programs
34
Organization: Richmond County (NC)
Year: 2023 Accepted: 2024-03-12

Organization Exclusion Status:

Checking exclusion status...

Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
375555 2023-004 Significant Deficiency Yes E
375556 2023-005 Significant Deficiency Yes E
375557 2023-006 Significant Deficiency Yes E
375558 2023-007 Significant Deficiency Yes E
375559 2023-008 Significant Deficiency - E
951997 2023-004 Significant Deficiency Yes E
951998 2023-005 Significant Deficiency Yes E
951999 2023-006 Significant Deficiency Yes E
952000 2023-007 Significant Deficiency Yes E
952001 2023-008 Significant Deficiency - E

Programs

ALN Program Spent Major Findings
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $2.13M Yes 0
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $1.43M Yes 4
93.658 Foster Care_title IV-E $998,370 - 0
93.568 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance $973,950 - 0
93.563 Child Support Enforcement $760,841 Yes 0
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $704,001 - 0
10.561 State Administrative Matching Grants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program $636,593 Yes 1
10.557 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children $416,530 - 0
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $325,080 - 0
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $307,825 - 0
93.323 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (elc) $192,521 - 0
93.045 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part C_nutrition Services $185,704 - 0
93.354 Public Health Emergency Response: Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis Response $123,833 - 0
93.268 Immunization Cooperative Agreements $115,616 - 0
93.994 Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States $105,501 - 0
93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund $93,233 - 0
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part B_grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $66,507 - 0
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $50,099 - 0
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $44,660 - 0
93.217 Family Planning_services $40,196 - 0
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $33,216 - 0
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $30,799 - 0
93.991 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant $30,608 - 0
93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program $30,603 - 0
93.767 Children's Health Insurance Program $28,292 - 0
93.116 Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Tuberculosis Control Programs $20,860 - 0
16.607 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program $14,410 - 0
93.674 John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood $14,307 - 0
93.645 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program $12,246 - 0
93.898 Cancer Prevention and Control Programs for State, Territorial and Tribal Organizations $9,500 - 0
93.556 Promoting Safe and Stable Families $3,986 - 0
93.977 Preventive Health Services_sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Grants $100 - 0
93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_state Administered Programs $98 - 0
93.560 Family Support Payments to States_assistance Payments $-129 - 0

Contacts

Name Title Type
Q63FZNTJM3M4 Cary Garner Auditee
9109978220 Alan Thompson Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

Accounting Policies: Expenditures reported in the SEFSA are reported on the modified accrual basis of accounting. Such expenditures are recognized following the cost principles contained in Uniform Guidance, wherein certain types of expenditures are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: N/A

Finding Details

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-004 IV-D Cooperation with Child Support SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Section II - Financial Statement Findings (continued) The County agrees with this finding. In accordance with North Carolina General Statutes SS 143C, budget revisions must be requested and approved prior to any commitment and/or expenditure that would exceed the amount budgeted. Entities should not overspend the authorized budget. The County overspent in Information Technology by $199,505, Court Facilities by $5,908, General and Administrative by $210,485, Jail by $1,491, and Emergency Services by $29,403. This was an oversight that resulted from not budgeting for GASB 96 entries. Efforts will be made to ensure that the budget is appropriately amended in the future. The Board spent funds that were not available for those respective departments. The County did not properly amend the budget as needed to account for the GASB 96 entries that were necessary in the current year. The budget should be reviewed and appropriate amendments made during the year. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. There were 7 errors discovered during our procedures that referrals between DSS and Child Support Agencies were not properly made. In accordance with the Medicaid Manual MA-3365, all Medicaid cases should be evaluated and referred to the Child Support Enforcement Agency (IV-D). The Child Support Enforcement Agency (IV-D) can assist the family in obtaining financial and/or medical support or medical support payments from the child’s noncustodial parent. Cooperation requirement with Department of Social Services (DSS) and Child Support Agencies must be met or good cause for not cooperating must be established when determine Medicaid eligibility. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-005 Inaccurate Information Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-006. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibilitydeterminations. In accordance with 2 CFR 200, management should have an adequate system of internal controls procedures in place to ensure an applicant is properly determined or redetermined for benefits. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that inaccurate information was entered when determining eligibility. Human error in reading the Automated Collection and Tracking System (ACTS) report and/or ineffective case review process. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper information is in place and necessary procedures are taken when determining eligibility. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section.
Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-005 Inaccurate Information Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-006. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibilitydeterminations. In accordance with 2 CFR 200, management should have an adequate system of internal controls procedures in place to ensure an applicant is properly determined or redetermined for benefits. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that inaccurate information was entered when determining eligibility. Human error in reading the Automated Collection and Tracking System (ACTS) report and/or ineffective case review process. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper information is in place and necessary procedures are taken when determining eligibility. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-006 Inaccurate Resources Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-007 Inadequate Request for Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibility determinations. Electronic matches are required at applications and redeterminations. There were 4 errors discovered during our procedures that inadequate information was requested at applications and/or redeterminations. In accordance with Medicaid Manual MA-2230, Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled case records should contain documentation that verifications were done in preparation of the application and these items will agree to reports in the NC FAST system. In this process, the countable resources should be calculated correctly and agree back to the amounts in the NC FAST system. Any items discovered in the verification process should be considered countable or non-countable resources and explained within the documentation. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that resources in the county documentation and those same resources contained in NC FAST were not the same amounts or files containing resources were not properly documented to be considered countable or non-countable. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-007.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-006 Inaccurate Resources Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-007 Inadequate Request for Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibility determinations. Electronic matches are required at applications and redeterminations. There were 4 errors discovered during our procedures that inadequate information was requested at applications and/or redeterminations. In accordance with Medicaid Manual MA-2230, Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled case records should contain documentation that verifications were done in preparation of the application and these items will agree to reports in the NC FAST system. In this process, the countable resources should be calculated correctly and agree back to the amounts in the NC FAST system. Any items discovered in the verification process should be considered countable or non-countable resources and explained within the documentation. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that resources in the county documentation and those same resources contained in NC FAST were not the same amounts or files containing resources were not properly documented to be considered countable or non-countable. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-007. Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Cluster AL # 10.551 and 10.561 Finding: 2023-008 Inaccurate Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-009. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources and income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and applicants could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) Per Section 200.303 of the Uniform Grant Guidance, a non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The State has provided policies and procedures to ensure that the County is meeting the federal guidance, relevant policies are: Food and Nutrition Services Policy 305 describes the verification sources and requirements and the FNS units primary responsibility for providing documentary evidence to support statements on applications and recertifications and procedures required if the statements by applicant/beneficiary are questionable. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 300 describes the sources of income countable and not countable to the household for determining financial eligibility. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 310 describes the procedures related to verifying changes in income (i.e. termination, end of contract, temporary, etc.). We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit.
Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Cluster AL # 10.551 and 10.561 Finding: 2023-008 Inaccurate Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-009. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources and income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and applicants could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) Per Section 200.303 of the Uniform Grant Guidance, a non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The State has provided policies and procedures to ensure that the County is meeting the federal guidance, relevant policies are: Food and Nutrition Services Policy 305 describes the verification sources and requirements and the FNS units primary responsibility for providing documentary evidence to support statements on applications and recertifications and procedures required if the statements by applicant/beneficiary are questionable. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 300 describes the sources of income countable and not countable to the household for determining financial eligibility. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 310 describes the procedures related to verifying changes in income (i.e. termination, end of contract, temporary, etc.). We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY: Finding 2023-004, 2023-005, 2023-006, 2023-007 also apply to State requirements and State Awards. Section IV - State Award Findings and Questioned Costs internal review process is adequately completed to identify and correct errors in case reviews. The County agrees with the finding and is implementing actions to correct these issues, which are further discussed in the corrective action plan. There were a total of 8 errors found in our testing: 4 instances where verification of an expense used for a deduction of income was not included in the case file; 1 instance where verification check returned a record for employment but the case worker did not follow-up; 1 instance where a telephonic signature was not approapriately documented in NCFAST; 1 instance where the caseworked did not appropriately end date old evidence for an expense deduction in NCFAST; and 1 instance where child support income was not entered correctly in NCFAST. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 25 of 14,829 FNS recipients from the a report of all active FNS beneficiaries provided by Richmond County's Department of Human Services. The finding is being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to FNS administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Due to the errors noted, eligibility cannot be sufficiently substantiated and there is a risk that the County could provide funding and/or benefits to individuals who are not program eligible. The County should provide training of management and staff on the program's eligibility requirements, proper case review process, and required verifications for eligibility. Also, the County should ensure that their formal
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-004 IV-D Cooperation with Child Support SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Section II - Financial Statement Findings (continued) The County agrees with this finding. In accordance with North Carolina General Statutes SS 143C, budget revisions must be requested and approved prior to any commitment and/or expenditure that would exceed the amount budgeted. Entities should not overspend the authorized budget. The County overspent in Information Technology by $199,505, Court Facilities by $5,908, General and Administrative by $210,485, Jail by $1,491, and Emergency Services by $29,403. This was an oversight that resulted from not budgeting for GASB 96 entries. Efforts will be made to ensure that the budget is appropriately amended in the future. The Board spent funds that were not available for those respective departments. The County did not properly amend the budget as needed to account for the GASB 96 entries that were necessary in the current year. The budget should be reviewed and appropriate amendments made during the year. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. There were 7 errors discovered during our procedures that referrals between DSS and Child Support Agencies were not properly made. In accordance with the Medicaid Manual MA-3365, all Medicaid cases should be evaluated and referred to the Child Support Enforcement Agency (IV-D). The Child Support Enforcement Agency (IV-D) can assist the family in obtaining financial and/or medical support or medical support payments from the child’s noncustodial parent. Cooperation requirement with Department of Social Services (DSS) and Child Support Agencies must be met or good cause for not cooperating must be established when determine Medicaid eligibility. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-005 Inaccurate Information Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-006. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibilitydeterminations. In accordance with 2 CFR 200, management should have an adequate system of internal controls procedures in place to ensure an applicant is properly determined or redetermined for benefits. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that inaccurate information was entered when determining eligibility. Human error in reading the Automated Collection and Tracking System (ACTS) report and/or ineffective case review process. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper information is in place and necessary procedures are taken when determining eligibility. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section.
Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-005 Inaccurate Information Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-006. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibilitydeterminations. In accordance with 2 CFR 200, management should have an adequate system of internal controls procedures in place to ensure an applicant is properly determined or redetermined for benefits. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that inaccurate information was entered when determining eligibility. Human error in reading the Automated Collection and Tracking System (ACTS) report and/or ineffective case review process. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper information is in place and necessary procedures are taken when determining eligibility. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-006 Inaccurate Resources Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-007 Inadequate Request for Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibility determinations. Electronic matches are required at applications and redeterminations. There were 4 errors discovered during our procedures that inadequate information was requested at applications and/or redeterminations. In accordance with Medicaid Manual MA-2230, Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled case records should contain documentation that verifications were done in preparation of the application and these items will agree to reports in the NC FAST system. In this process, the countable resources should be calculated correctly and agree back to the amounts in the NC FAST system. Any items discovered in the verification process should be considered countable or non-countable resources and explained within the documentation. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that resources in the county documentation and those same resources contained in NC FAST were not the same amounts or files containing resources were not properly documented to be considered countable or non-countable. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-007.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-006 Inaccurate Resources Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-007 Inadequate Request for Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibility determinations. Electronic matches are required at applications and redeterminations. There were 4 errors discovered during our procedures that inadequate information was requested at applications and/or redeterminations. In accordance with Medicaid Manual MA-2230, Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled case records should contain documentation that verifications were done in preparation of the application and these items will agree to reports in the NC FAST system. In this process, the countable resources should be calculated correctly and agree back to the amounts in the NC FAST system. Any items discovered in the verification process should be considered countable or non-countable resources and explained within the documentation. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that resources in the county documentation and those same resources contained in NC FAST were not the same amounts or files containing resources were not properly documented to be considered countable or non-countable. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-007. Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Cluster AL # 10.551 and 10.561 Finding: 2023-008 Inaccurate Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-009. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources and income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and applicants could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) Per Section 200.303 of the Uniform Grant Guidance, a non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The State has provided policies and procedures to ensure that the County is meeting the federal guidance, relevant policies are: Food and Nutrition Services Policy 305 describes the verification sources and requirements and the FNS units primary responsibility for providing documentary evidence to support statements on applications and recertifications and procedures required if the statements by applicant/beneficiary are questionable. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 300 describes the sources of income countable and not countable to the household for determining financial eligibility. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 310 describes the procedures related to verifying changes in income (i.e. termination, end of contract, temporary, etc.). We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit.
Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Cluster AL # 10.551 and 10.561 Finding: 2023-008 Inaccurate Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-009. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper documentation is in place for eligibility. Workers should be retrained on what files should contain and the importance of complete and accurate record keeping. We recommend that all files include online verifications, documented resources and income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and applicants could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) Per Section 200.303 of the Uniform Grant Guidance, a non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The State has provided policies and procedures to ensure that the County is meeting the federal guidance, relevant policies are: Food and Nutrition Services Policy 305 describes the verification sources and requirements and the FNS units primary responsibility for providing documentary evidence to support statements on applications and recertifications and procedures required if the statements by applicant/beneficiary are questionable. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 300 describes the sources of income countable and not countable to the household for determining financial eligibility. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 310 describes the procedures related to verifying changes in income (i.e. termination, end of contract, temporary, etc.). We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY: Finding 2023-004, 2023-005, 2023-006, 2023-007 also apply to State requirements and State Awards. Section IV - State Award Findings and Questioned Costs internal review process is adequately completed to identify and correct errors in case reviews. The County agrees with the finding and is implementing actions to correct these issues, which are further discussed in the corrective action plan. There were a total of 8 errors found in our testing: 4 instances where verification of an expense used for a deduction of income was not included in the case file; 1 instance where verification check returned a record for employment but the case worker did not follow-up; 1 instance where a telephonic signature was not approapriately documented in NCFAST; 1 instance where the caseworked did not appropriately end date old evidence for an expense deduction in NCFAST; and 1 instance where child support income was not entered correctly in NCFAST. There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 25 of 14,829 FNS recipients from the a report of all active FNS beneficiaries provided by Richmond County's Department of Human Services. The finding is being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to FNS administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Due to the errors noted, eligibility cannot be sufficiently substantiated and there is a risk that the County could provide funding and/or benefits to individuals who are not program eligible. The County should provide training of management and staff on the program's eligibility requirements, proper case review process, and required verifications for eligibility. Also, the County should ensure that their formal