Finding 520095 (2024-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-01-24

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: An individual participated in the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program without meeting eligibility requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with eligibility criteria as outlined in the Uniform Guidance was not followed.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement internal controls to verify eligibility before program participation; management has agreed and is developing an action plan.

Finding Text

Eligibility of Participants of the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Criteria: The individuals that participate in the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children must meet the eligibility requirements per the Uniform Guidance. Condition: For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, an individual that was selected as part of our testing and participated in the program did not meet the eligibility requirements per the Uniform Guidance. Cause: For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children staff did not adhere to the eligibility guidelines for the individual that was allowed to participate in the program. Effect: For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, an individual participated in the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children that was not eligible. Recommendations: We recommend that proper internal controls over compliance be put in place to verify that all individuals meet the eligibility requirements prior to participating in the program. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the auditor’s recommendation and has developed an action plan to ensure that these controls are in place.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Plan: Immediate action for correcting the error was taken August 29, 2024. The error occurred when the WIC Program Assistant entered income in the GA-WIC system. The correct income amounts were entered in GA-WIC for the required four weeks of pay, however, the GA-WIC system defaults to five rows for income entries and the WIC Program Assistant failed to remove the fifth row. This oversight resulted in GA-WIC producing an incorrect income calculation. The error was brought to the attention of the WIC Program Assistant. The employee was knowledgeable of the requirement to remove the fifth row and acknowledged the error. The WIC participant was contacted, informed of the error, and was issued a Notice of Termination. Record reviews, including income eligibility, are monitored by district WIC staff in clinic reviews at least annually. An email was sent to GA WIC requesting a system change to decrease the default income rows and allow staff to add rows as needed. Anticipated Completion Date: Completed August 29, 2024.

Categories

Eligibility Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1096537 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.557 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children $2.45M
93.994 Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States $1.13M
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $1.00M
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $537,935
14.241 Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids $519,425
93.917 Hiv Care Formula Grants $491,992
93.918 Grants to Provide Outpatient Early Intervention Services with Respect to Hiv Disease $350,748
93.967 Cdc's Collaboration with Academia to Strengthen Public Health $328,804
93.926 Healthy Start Initiative $327,252
93.354 Public Health Emergency Response: Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis Response $248,908
93.940 Hiv Prevention Activities_health Department Based $223,860
93.898 Cancer Prevention and Control Programs for State, Territorial and Tribal Organizations $190,600
93.323 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (elc) $157,523
84.181 Special Education-Grants for Infants and Families $143,847
93.495 Community Health Workers for Public Health Response and Resilient $118,127
93.136 Injury Prevention and Control Research and State and Community Based Programs $107,763
93.991 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant $99,433
93.889 National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program $98,995
93.268 Immunization Cooperative Agreements $94,574
93.977 Preventive Health Services_sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Grants $36,108
93.387 National and State Tobacco Control Program (b) $35,000
93.988 Cooperative Agreements for State-Based Diabetes Control Programs and Evaluation of Surveillance Systems $20,000
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $8,420
93.758 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Funded Solely with Prevention and Public Health Funds (pphf) $5,089