Finding 1240190 (2026-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2026
Accepted
2026-10-08

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Internal controls are inadequate, leading to incorrect application of sliding fee discounts at the time of service.
  • Impacted Requirements: 3 out of 40 discounts tested did not match the approved sliding fee schedule, causing billing errors.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Review and strengthen internal controls to ensure accurate income calculations and compliance with the sliding fee discount program.

Finding Text

The organization does not have sufficient internal controls to ensure that the allowable and applicable sliding fee discount schedule is applied at the time of service. Of the 40 sliding fee discounts selected for testing, 3 were billed using a discount level that did not align with the patient's approved sliding fee schedule in effect on the date of service. These errors occurred from a miscalculation of income and resulted in some patients being charged amounts that varied from the charges allowable under the approved sliding fee discount program.

Corrective Action Plan

1. Enhanced Training: EVMC will conduct mandatory training for all billing and front-desk staff focusing on accurate annual income calculations, verifying income documentation, and ensuring proper alignment with the active sliding fee discount schedule. Additional focused training will be conducted whenever a new or updated sliding fee scale is implemented. 2. Monitoring & Quality Audits: EVMC management will establish a formal monthly monitoring and sampling process. The Administrative Assistant and Clinical Manager will audit a representative sample of sliding fee applications and patient billing records. Sampling frequency and sample sizes will be increased immediately following any updates or transitions to new sliding fee schedules to ensure early detection of calculation errors. 3. Individual Accountability & Feedback: Results of monthly audits will be reviewed to identify specific error trends or individual training needs, and corrective retraining will be documented and tracked for continuous improvement.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1240191 2026-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.224 HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM $1.09M
93.800 ORGANIZED APPROACHES TO INCREASE COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING $3,500