Finding 42548 (2022-006)

Significant Deficiency Repeat Finding
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-02-19

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Inadequate documentation was requested during Medicaid applications and redeterminations, leading to potential eligibility errors.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 42 CFR 435 for maintaining proper documentation to support eligibility determinations.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Conduct internal reviews of files, retrain staff on documentation standards, and ensure all records include necessary verifications and reconciliations.

Finding Text

US Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medicaid Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) CFDA# 93.778 Finding: 2022-006 Inadequate Request for Information SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibility determinations. Electronic matches are required at applications and redeterminations. Condition: There were 3 errors discovered during our procedures that inadequate information was requested at applications and/or redeterminations. Questioned Cost: There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. Context: We examined 60 from a total of 555,244 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings 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 and applicants could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. Identification of a repeat finding: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2021-003. 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 and income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: The County agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2022-006 Inadequate Request for Information Name of contact person: Vanness Taylor, Adult Income Maintenance Supervisor II Corrective Action: Errors cited were inadequate information was requested at applications and/or redeterminations. Caseworkers did not verify with Electronic Source prior to requesting information from clients. Caseworkers are to run online data, the work number, and AVS and review the policy manual to properly ensure that the case is evaluated correctly per timely processing standards set by the State Medicaid Policies. Adult Medicaid Lead workers, Michelle Ogle and Delta Elliott, and Supervisor, Vanness Taylor, will conduct second-party reviews on caseworkers. The supervisor will go over errors found by second parties during their team monthly meetings. The supervisor will hold individual performance meetings if cited for the same error. Lead Workers and Supervisor will conduct 100% second parties on caseworkers in their probationary period of 6 months unless extended by the Supervisor due to performance and 5 applications and redeterminations on all other caseworkers per month. The supervisor will also ensure that caseworkers are up to date on changes that may come up and ensure that they give proper instruction when needed. The Supervisor will schedule and hold a meeting to inform the Program Administrator, Heather Hayes, each month of the repetitive second-party findings and provide a copy of the individual?s performance meeting held with the worker. Proposed completion date: To ensure that the caseworkers do not repeat these errors, the following action was taken: policy training was held on Adult Medicaid section MA-2300 on November 29, 2022.

Categories

Eligibility

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 42546 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 42547 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 42549 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency
  • 42550 2022-008
    Significant Deficiency
  • 618988 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 618989 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 618990 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 618991 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency
  • 618992 2022-008
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $1.80M
93.563 Child Support Enforcement $641,893
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $388,432
15.916 Outdoor Recreation_acquisition, Development and Planning $250,000
93.658 Foster Care_title IV-E $227,599
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $171,159
20.513 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities $119,450
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part B_grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $101,469
93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund $92,543
93.000 Foster Care $85,681
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $63,049
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $60,000
93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program $32,197
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $30,695
93.767 Children's Health Insurance Program $29,783
93.645 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program $19,326
45.310 Grants to States $17,775
10.561 State Administrative Matching Grants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program $16,188
93.556 Promoting Safe and Stable Families $15,476
93.568 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance $12,244
93.659 Adoption Assistance $10,717
93.779 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (cms) Research, Demonstrations and Evaluations $10,159
93.674 John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood $8,287
93.052 National Family Caregiver Support, Title Iii, Part E $3,173
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $1,750
93.045 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part C_nutrition Services $892