U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY
2024-002 93.224/93.527 - Consolidated Health Centers (Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless, Public Housing Primary Care, and School Based Health Centers); (HHS Community Health Center...
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY
2024-002 93.224/93.527 - Consolidated Health Centers (Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless, Public Housing Primary Care, and School Based Health Centers); (HHS Community Health Center Program)
Recommendation: We recommend that management hold additional training for front desk staff regarding the collection and verification of patient information for each patient. We also recommend enhancing your sliding fee status feature in your billing system to be completed for all patients to identify if the patient is insured, an application is pending, an application was received, an application was approved by finance for adjustment, and if an application was waived, to enable better tracking of the eligibility of each patient. We also recommend reviewing outstanding patient balances over 180 days to determine if follow up with a patient is required to collect the outstanding balance or to see if something has been collected by the front desk but not communicated to the finance team.
Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Action planned/taken in response to finding: Management agrees with the recommendations identified above. During April 2025, NHA started a project to review Self Pay balances with service dates prior to January 1, 2025 to follow up on why the balance is still outstanding. This would have caught the error identified above. In addition to this project, they have held additional trainings for front desk staff and will continue to do so and will continue to improve their methods of tracking patient eligibility.
Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Doni Miller
Planned completion date for corrective action plan: November 30, 2025
If the Department of Health and Human Services has questions regarding this plan, please call Doni Miller, CEO at 419-720-7883.