Finding 392584 (2021-002)

Material Weakness
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2021
Accepted
2024-04-08
Audit: 302859
Auditor: Forvis LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Management reported expenses inaccurately through the PRF portal, leading to material noncompliance with reporting requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: The Department of Health and Human Services mandates accurate reporting of PRF distributions by nature and function.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement effective controls to ensure accurate classification of costs and compliance with PRF reporting requirements.

Finding Text

Finding 2021-002 Material Weakness and Material Noncompliance over Reporting Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds Assistance Listing 93.498 Criteria: The Department of Health and Human Services provided terms and conditions associated with the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). The use of the PRF distributions is required to be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services by recipients through the PRF reporting portal by and by nature and/or function. Management should have effectively designed controls in place to prevent, or detect and correct, material noncompliance with the reporting requirements of PRF. Condition: Management submitted expenses through the Department of Health and Human Services PRF reporting portal that did not reconcile to the underlying expense details by nature and/or function as provided by management, and therefore did not comply with PRF reporting requirements. Management’s process for reporting through the PRF portal lacked effective controls to prevent, or detect and correct, such reporting noncompliance on a timely basis. Questioned Costs: N/A Context: For PRF reporting period 1, which include periods of availability that ended during the Authority’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, management reported through the PRF reporting portal payroll expenses totaling $1,720,114, non-payroll expenses totaling $4,164,457 and lost revenue of $4,764,131. The results of audit procedures determined that the expenses were misclassified between categories as there were actually $1,676,415 in payroll expenses and $4,208,156 in non-payroll expenses included in the respective populations. Effect: Inaccurate information was reported through the Department of Health and Human Services PRF reporting portal with respect to classification of expenses by nature and/or function, resulting in material noncompliance with PRF reporting requirements. Cause: Effective controls were not designed and implemented sufficient to prevent, or detect and correct, inaccurate reporting and classification of coronavirus-related expenses by nature and/or function to the Department of Health and Human Services through the PRF reporting portal. Identification of Prior Year Audit Findings: N/A Recommendation: Effective controls over compliance should be implemented to ensure the classification of allowable costs reported to the Department of Health and Human Services through the PRF reporting portal is accurate with respect to nature and/or function, and in compliance with PRF reporting requirements. Views of responsible officials: Management agrees with the findings and will implement controls to ensure future PRF reporting compliance. See management’s Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2021-002- Material Weakness and Material Noncompliance over Reporting Contact Person: Andrew Wenning Managements Response: We have determined that certain expenses reported through the Department of Health and Human Services PRF reporting portal for period 1 did not reconcile to the underlying expense details by nature and/or function, and therefore did not comply with PRF reporting requirements. We have implemented a monitoring control over PRF reporting to ensure that expenses submitted through the PRF portal are properly classified by nature and/or function, and that such amounts reconcile to the underlying details and accounting records. Completion Date: April 5, 2024

Categories

Reporting Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Material Weakness

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 392585 2021-003
    Material Weakness
  • 392586 2021-004
    Material Weakness
  • 969026 2021-002
    Material Weakness
  • 969027 2021-003
    Material Weakness
  • 969028 2021-004
    Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.498 Provider Relief Fund $10.65M
21.019 Coronavirus Relief Fund $804,000
93.461 Covid-19 Testing for the Uninsured $421,422
93.301 Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program $83,317