Finding 49615 (2022-002)

Significant Deficiency Repeat Finding
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-04-09

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: There were 32 technical errors in Medicaid case records, including inaccurate resource and budget calculations, and incomplete compliance documentation.
  • Impacted Requirements: Documentation must accurately reflect verifications and reconcile with NC FAST to ensure eligibility determinations are correct.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Conduct internal file reviews, retrain staff on documentation standards, and implement second-party reviews to improve record-keeping practices.

Finding Text

Criteria: Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled case records should contain documentation that verifications were done in preparation of the application and these items will agree to reports in the NC FAST system. In this process, documentation should be present and agree back to the records in the NC FAST system. Any items discovered in the process should be considered resources and explained within the documentation. Condition: There were thirty-two (32) technical errors discovered during our procedures that resources in the county documentation and those same resources contained in NC FAST were not the same amounts or files containing resources were not properly documented to be considered countable or non-countable. The errors were as follows: Two (2) cases did not have accurate resource calculations, Ten (10) cases did not have accurate budget calculations, Nineteen (19) cases had a failure to complete at least one compliance component, One (1) case contained household composition errors. Questioned Costs: There was no affect to eligibility and there were no questioned costs. Context: We examined 138 Medicaid applicants to re-determine eligibility. These findings were disclosed in a separately issued spreadsheet to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and 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 which affect countable resource and a participant could have been approved for benefits that they were not eligible. Identification of a repeat finding: This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2021-002. 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 of income and those amounts agree to information in NC FAST. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: The County agrees with the finding. Supervisors will perform second party reviews to ensure proper documentation is contained in files to support eligibility determinations. Workers will be retrained on what information should be maintained in case files, the importance of complete and accurate record keeping, and reserve calculations. The County finance office will also participating in the review process.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action: Supervisors and Lead Workers randomly conduct 2nd party reviews on case actions completed by IMC workers. All new hires go through and extensive training plan and are only released when error rate is 5% or less. Workers must continue to maintain an overall rating of 95% to be released from all of their work being 100% 2nd party reviewed. Work issues and errors are corrected immediately when discovered and Lead Workers and Supervisors provide training to the unit or individuals, as needed. The County remains proactive in resolving all errors cited while battling issues with turnovers, limited staff, and inexperienced staff. An effective training plan has been implemented and is administered by the Staff Development Specialist and the Lead Worker Unit. Monthly and one-on-one conferences are conducted to discuss error citing found and coaching or refresher trainings are conducted. Proposed Completion Date: Immediate actions have been taken to resolve issues cited. The County continues to complete 2nd party reviews on each worker and evaluate error trends cited for corrections needed through coaching, refresher courses or training. Trainings pertinent to the specified findings will be completed by 12/01/2022.

Categories

Eligibility

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 49614 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 626056 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 626057 2022-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $2.45M
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $1.97M
93.568 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance $1.53M
93.563 Child Support Enforcement $1.09M
10.561 State Administrative Matching Grants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program $577,513
93.658 Foster Care_title IV-E $482,277
10.557 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children $424,615
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $421,310
93.323 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (elc) $242,640
20.509 Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program $160,617
93.994 Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States $110,397
20.526 Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low Or No Emissions Programs $104,800
97.039 Hazard Mitigation Grant $103,023
93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund $98,349
93.268 Immunization Cooperative Agreements $58,896
93.217 Family Planning_services $47,367
99.U99 Foster Care $42,525
93.991 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant $30,607
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $30,102
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $28,262
93.116 Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Tuberculosis Control Programs $26,202
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $25,177
93.659 Adoption Assistance $17,705
93.674 John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood $17,100
93.767 Children's Health Insurance Program $15,976
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $14,800
93.898 Cancer Prevention and Control Programs for State, Territorial and Tribal Organizations $7,575
93.071 Medicare Enrollment Assistance Program $4,689
93.645 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program $242
93.560 Family Support Payments to States_assistance Payments $-65