Finding 1208595 (2024-004)

HCP Slide Fees Federal Program: : Assistance Listing 93.224 – COVID-19 – Health Center Program (Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless, and Public Housing Primary Care) Criteria: As required by the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services, recipients of Heath Center Program (HCP) Funds must prepare and correctly apply a sliding fee discount schedule so that eligible patients’ fees are adjusted based on patients’ ability to pay. Condition: The entity submitted incorrectly applied the sliding fee discount schedule so that a patient was placed on the incorrect slide their and received incorrect patient fees. Cause: The error was attributed to insufficient internal controls over patient fees. Effect: HCP grant requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of the Treasury were not met. Recommendation: Management should implement robust internal controls to ensure the slide fee discount schedule is applied correctly. Management’s Recommendation: The Center concurs with the recommendation and is considering corrective action for 2025.