Finding Text
2023-003: Sliding Fee Discount Processes
Criteria or specific requirement: The Health Center Program (93.224) requires grantees to prepare and apply a sliding fee discount schedule (SFDS) so that the amounts owed for health center services by eligible patients are adjusted (discounted) based on the patient’s ability to pay.
Condition: Two individuals that received the Sliding Fee Discount were not eligible based on income.
Cause: This was due to a clerical error entered into the Center’s internal database. There is no review process of entry into the internal database for eligibility.
Effect or potential effect: Without adequate controls over this process, the Center may provide discounts to ineligible patients.
Recommendation: The Center should establish internal control processes for the Sliding Fee Discount policy as a whole. A review process should be in place for all patient information entered into the Center’s billing software.
Views of responsible officials: Refer to the Corrective Action Plan prepared by the Center in regard to this matter.