Finding 1187092 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-26
Audit: 394819
Organization: Perquimans County (NC)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: There were 15 technical errors in Medicaid case records where documentation did not match the NC FAST system, affecting eligibility verification.
  • Impacted Requirements: Documentation must accurately reflect household composition, compliance requirements, resource calculations, and budget calculations to meet Medicaid program controls.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Conduct internal reviews of files, retrain staff on documentation standards, and ensure all records include necessary verifications and align with NC FAST data.

Finding Text

Criteria: Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled case records should contain documentation that verifications were done in preparation of the application/recertification and these items will agree to reports in the NC FAST system. In this process, documentation should be present and agree back to the records in the NC FAST system. Any items discovered in the process should be considered in regards to a specific eligibility requirement and explained within the documentation. Condition: There were fifteen (15) technical errors discovered during our procedures that verifications in the county documentation and the representative data contained in NC FAST were not the same amounts or files containing policy requirements were not properly documented to be considered in compliance with program control requirements. The errors were as follows: One (1) contained a household composition error, Two (2) had unverified compliance requirements, One (1) was improperly forced with no supporting documentation, Nine (9) did not have accurate resource calculations, and Two (2) did not have accurate budget calculations in NC FAST. Questioned Costs: There was no affect to eligibility and there were no questioned costs. Context: We examined 60 out of 91,754 Medicaid applicants to re-determine eligibility. These findings were disclosed in a separately issued spreadsheet to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Effect: For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST which affect countable resource or program specific requirements and a participant could have been approved for benefits that they were not eligible. Identification of a repeat finding: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2024-002. Cause: Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. Recommendation: 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. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: The County agrees with the finding. Supervisors will perform second party reviews to ensure proper documentation is contained in files to support eligibility determinations. Workers will be retrained on what information should be maintained in case files, the importance of complete and accurate record keeping, and reserve calculations. The County finance office will also participating in the review process.

Corrective Action Plan

Name of contact person: Pamela Midgett, AMA IMS II and Julie Shreckengast, FCMA IMS II Corrective Action: Perquimans County Department of Social Services unit will continue to 2nd party cases monthly, randomly review workers’ online data and continue to train on the importance of pulling current and accurate information from the online data system. IMS Midgett and Shreckengast will continue to emphasize the importance of the checklist on review forms and applications to ensure proper verification of information and documentation. IMS Midgett and Shreckengast will implement a Joint Unit Meeting for remedial training that includes proper documentation for Income / Resources / Household Composition. Corrective Action: Perquimans County Department of Social Services unit will continue to 2nd party cases monthly, randomly review workers’ calculations and procedures of the countable income and resources. IMS will implement a training with question and answer session regarding proper budgeting income and calculation of resources. Corrective Action: Perquimans County Department of Social Services unit will continue to 2nd party cases monthly, randomly review workers calculations and procedures of the countable income. Training on proper use of Request For Information, DHB-5097 and additional training on State Residency verification. Proposed Completion Date: Joint Unit Training to be conducted at the February 2026 unit meeting for the entire Medicaid unit.

Categories

Eligibility

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.778 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $811,479
10.561 STATE ADMINISTRATIVE MATCHING GRANTS FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $221,539
93.563 CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES $129,718
93.596 CHILD CARE MANDATORY AND MATCHING FUNDS OF THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND $77,360
93.767 CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM $76,239
93.558 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES $50,638
93.658 FOSTER CARE TITLE IV-E $43,165
93.568 LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE $13,320
93.556 MARYLEE ALLEN PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM $4,559
93.645 STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES CHILD WELFARE SERVICES PROGRAM $3,509
97.067 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM $2,000
93.667 SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT $1,563
93.659 ADOPTION ASSISTANCE $221