Finding 1216064 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-05-29

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: BHD, LLC miscalculated their indirect cost rate, leading to potential improper charges to the program.
  • Impacted Requirements: The lack of effective internal controls violates 2 CFR 200.303(a), which mandates proper management of federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Enhance internal control procedures to ensure accurate calculation of indirect costs based on monthly direct expenditures.

Finding Text

Department of Health and Human Services Federal Assistance Listing #93.912 Rural Healthcare Services Programs Activities Allowed or Unallowed and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) establishes that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and conditions of the federal award. Condition: For a portion of the year, BHD, LLC calculated their indirect cost rate based on the total grant budget and took an equal amount of that per month instead of calculating the indirect cost rate per direct expenditures for each month. When they started to calculate the indirect cost rate per direct expenditures for each month, they used the wrong cost pool per the budget and award. Cause: BHD, LLC did not have an internal control process in place to ensure the correct amounts of indirect costs were requested based on the direct costs for the same period. Effect: Without an effective internal control process in place, improper costs could be chargedto the program. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context: A nonstatistical sample of 5 out of 10 indirect expenditures were selected for testing. In addition, the indirect expenditures were tested in total for the year. Repeat Finding from Prior Years: Yes Recommendation: We recommend BHD, LLC enhance internal control procedures to ensure the indirect cost rate is applied against the monthly direct costs when requesting program reimbursements. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2025-001 Federal Agency Name: Department of the Health and Human Services Program Name: Rural Healthcare Services Program Federal Financial Assistance Listing #93.912 Compliance Requirement: Activities Allowed or Unallowed and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Finding Summary: For a portion of the year, BHD, LLC calculated their indirect cost rate based on the total grant budget and took an equal amount of that per month instead of calculating the indirect cost rate per direct expenditures for each month. When they started to calculate the indirect cost rate per direct expenditures for each month, they used the wrong cost pool per the budget and award. Responsible Individuals: Valarie Howard, CFO Corrective Action Plan: Historically, the indirect cost received by this grant has not been dependent of the direct expenditures. Based on verbal conversations with the HRSA grant project manager, requesting reimbursement for the indirect costs evenly over the year based on the budget submitted was acceptable. Therefore, the accounting treatment has been reflective of that. However, management agrees that recording the indirect cost based on the direct cost expenditures monthly is reasonable and appropriate and will make the change accordingly. The action plan was implemented immediately upon communication of the finding. Due to the timing of the prior year audit and communication of findings, the implementation of the action plan was mid- year during the current fiscal year resulting in a repetitive finding. Anticipated Completion Date: Action plan was implemented directly after issuance of prior year audit and communication of finding to management (March 2025).

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Cash Management Significant Deficiency

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1216063 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216065 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216066 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.912 RURAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES PROGRAMS $402,885
90.204 STATES' ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $254,464
93.107 AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTERS $156,424