Finding 1157412 (2024-001)

Finding: Eligibility Federal Assistance Listing Number 10.557 WIC – Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Department of Agriculture Pass-through Entity: State of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment FAIN: 253CO701W1003 Award Date: 10/1/2024 Criteria: According to 2 CFR Part 200.303 – The non-Federal entity must (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), (b) Comply with the U.S. Constitution, Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards, (c) Evaluate and monitor the non-Federal entity's compliance with statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of Federal awards. As the funds are passed through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Authority is required to utilize the State WIC eligibility system (COMPASS). Condition: The Authority is responsible for determining client eligibility and entering data into the COMPASS system. Although the Medicaid ID number is required for individuals with adjunct eligibility, it is not a mandatory field in COMPASS. Therefore, eligibility can be processed without entering this number. Testing revealed that the Authority did not consistently follow established controls requiring documentation of the state case ID for individuals deemed eligible based on participation in other state programs. Cause: Since the Medicaid ID number is not a required field in COMPASS, eligibility determinations can be processed without it. The system lacks reporting capabilities to identify missing entries in this field. Additionally, due to a high caseload, the Authority does not have the capacity to conduct 100% case reviews for all clients served. Effect: Although the individuals were correctly determined to be eligible for the WIC program, the Authority did not enter all required information into the COMPASS system. Questioned Costs: None. Context: We tested 25 clients for the WIC program for the year ended December 31, 2024 and noted four instances in which documentation of Medicaid ID number was not included within the COMPASS system. The total clients served by the Authority during the year was 25,906. A non-statistical sampling methodology was used to select the sample. Identification as a Repeat Findings: Not applicable. Recommendation: We recommend that the Authority expand existing case reviews to include five participant records per month per staff member. The results should be incorporated into annual performance evaluations. Additionally, we recommend enhanced training for all staff involved in eligibility determinations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Agree. See separate report for planned corrective actions.