Finding #2024-004 – Significant Deficiency and Other Noncompliance. Applicable federal programs: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Direct Federal Funding, HIV Prevention Activities Non-Governmental Organizational Based, Assistance Listing #93.939, Contract #6NU62PS924649-03-03, Contrac...
Finding #2024-004 – Significant Deficiency and Other Noncompliance. Applicable federal programs: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Direct Federal Funding, HIV Prevention Activities Non-Governmental Organizational Based, Assistance Listing #93.939, Contract #6NU62PS924649-03-03, Contract year: 07/01/23 – 06/30/24, Contract #5NU62PS924649-04-00, Contract year: 07/01/24 – 06/30/25. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Direct Federal Funding, Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges, Assistance Listing #93.332, Contract #NAVCA210403-03-03, Contract year: 08/27/23 – 08/26/24, Contract #NAVCA240482-01-00, Contract year: 08/27/24 – 08/26/25. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Direct Federal Funding, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Assistance Listing #93.767, Contract #2Y2CMS331859-02-05, Contract year: 07/01/23 – 06/30/25. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Passed through Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse, Assistance Listing #93.959, Contract #HHS000539700204 YPI, Contract year: 09/01/23 – 08/31/24, Contract #HHS000539700204 YPS, Contract year: 09/01/23 – 08/31/24, Contract #HHS000539700204 YPU, Contract year: 09/01/23 – 08/31/24. Condition and context: During our testing of payroll, non-payroll and indirect cost pool transactions, we identified the following exceptions: Controls over allowable cost compliance – all major programs. In a sample of 59 non-payroll transactions tested for internal controls over compliance: One instance of annual advertising contract charged in full rather than establishing a prepaid expense for the eleven months after Civic Heart’s year-end of August 31, 2024. The applicable grant period is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025 and thus, only one month, or approximately $417, was outside the period of performance (AL #93.767 Children’s Health Insurance Program). One instance of $2,700 charged to wrong program. Allowable costs of the Navigator program were charged to Connecting Kids program due to coding to the wrong class code in the general ledger. (AL#93.767 Children’s Health Insurance Program (Connecting Kids). In a sample of 135 payroll transactions tested for internal controls over compliance: Four instances of errors in the amount of costs charged to class code due to a clerical error in the payroll allocation spreadsheet. (AL #93.959 Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse and AL #93.939 HIV Prevention Activities Non-Governmental Organizational Based). Other non-compliance: AL #93.767 Children’s Health Insurance Program: In a sample of 40 payroll or vendor charges, one instance of non-compliance with allowable cost compliance ($417). AL #93.332 Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges: In a sample of 42 payroll or vendor charges, one instance of non-compliance with allowable cost compliance ($2,700). AL #93.939 HIV Prevention Activities Non-Governmental Organizational Based: In a sample of 40 payroll or vendor charges, two instances of non-compliance with allowable costs due to charge to the wrong program. Controls over period of performance – all major programs. In a sample of 56 vendor transactions and 4 pay periods with grant beginning or ending dates during the audit period, we found: 13 instances of charging vendor costs to the wrong grant period. One instance of charging payroll costs to the wrong grant period. Other non-compliance: AL #93.332 Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges: In a sample of 14 vendor charges tested, we found 4 exceptions for charging to the wrong grant period (approximately $3,120). AL #93.939 HIV Prevention Activities Non-Governmental Organizational Based. In a sample of 27 vendor charges tested, we found 4 exceptions for charging to the wrong grant period (approximately $480). In a sample of four pay periods tested, we found one exception for charging costs to the wrong grant period (approximately $5,350). AL# 93.959 Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse. In a sample of 25 vendor charges tested, we found 5 exceptions for charging to the wrong grant period (approximately $660). Recommendation: Emphasize adherence to established policies and procedures to ensure maintenance of payroll spreadsheets and reviews of coding for all transactions. Planned corrective action: Adherence to established policies and procedures will be strengthened by providing additional training when onboarding accounting staff, as well as additional oversight to the disbursement and payroll process. New accounting staff will be more thoroughly trained on established policies and procedures, including accruals, proper financial statement period recognition, grant award period of performance, tracking of grant activities using class codes, and allowable cost requirements. In addition, the CFO will ensure sufficient time is dedicated to reconciling payroll spreadsheets, payroll allocations, period of performance, and payroll accruals. Salaries and wages charged to the grant are now based on actual work performed determined by hours submitted by employee and approved by the applicable supervisor; this new control should assist in mitigating posting errors related to incorrect grants and grant periods. Responsible officer: Angelica Castillo, CFO. Estimated completion date: June 30, 2025.