Finding 523397 (2024-004)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-02-17
Audit: 342669
Organization: Burke County (NC)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Burke County has significant internal control deficiencies in managing eligibility for the Food and Nutrition Services program, leading to potential inaccuracies in benefit approvals.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with federal guidelines (Section 200.303) and state policies regarding eligibility verification and income assessment is not being met.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Review and strengthen internal controls, ensure accurate income calculations, and improve documentation processes to prevent future eligibility errors.

Finding Text

Burke County, North Carolina Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs For the Year Ended June 30, 2024 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Cluster AL #: 10.551 and 10.561 Finding: 2024-004 Internal Controls Related to Food and Nutrition Services Eligibility SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY ELIGIBILITY Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Section III. Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) Per Section 200.303 of the Uniform Grant Guidance, a non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The State has provided policies and procedures to ensure that the County is meeting the federal guidance, relevant policies are: Food and Nutrition Services Policy 305 describes the verification sources and requirements and the FNS units primary responsibility for providing documentary evidence to support statements on applications and recertifications and procedures required if the statements by applicant/beneficiary are questionable. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 300 describes the sources of income countable and not countable to the household for determining financial eligibility. Food and Nutrition Services Policy 310 describes the procedures related to verifying changes in income (i.e. termination, end of contract, temporary, etc.). There were a total of 2 errors found in our testing, both instances where earned income was incorrectly caclculated and entered in NCFAST. Of these 2 errors, 1 of these could potentially be an eligibility error. Due to the nature of the populations provided from which the samples were chosen, we are unable to calculate questioned costs for the above mentioned potential eligibility issue. We examined 25 of 96,362 FNS cases from a report of all active FNS beneficiaries provided by the County's Department of Social Services. The finding is being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to FNS administrative cost compliance audit. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to NC FAST and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. 134

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2024-003 INADEQUATE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Name of contact person: Corrective Action: Proposed Completion Date: Finding 2024-004 INTERNAL CONTROLS RELATED TO FNS ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS Name of contact person: Corrective Action: Proposed Completion Date: Corrective Actions for Findings 2024-001, 2024-002, and 2024-003 also apply to State requirements and State Awards. Korey Fisher-Wellman, Department of Social Services Director and Amanda Grady, Assistant Department of Social Services Director Medicaid staff will be required to attend training sessions to address the negative findings found. The following MA policies will be discussed during training to address the areas that need improvement: MA-3200 APPLICATION XII. Requesting Information and MA-3421 MAGI RECERTIFICATION VIII. Recertification Procedures. Medicaid Supervisors will continue to conduct 2nd Party Reviews. As cases are reviewed, supervisors will provide any additional training as needed, either on an individual or group basis. The results from these 2nd party reviews will be shared with the Assistant Director and DSS Director. Corrections will be made to the cases in error, and documentation to support the corrections will be updated in NCFAST. Section IV - State Award Findings and Question Costs The initial training will be completed by 12/06/2024. Our success will be measured by the results of the 2nd party reviews. We will continue to review the results of all 2nd party reviews, conduct group or individual training, and address issues through the disciplinary process if necessary. Korey Fisher-Wellman, Department of Social Services Director and Amanda Grady, Assistant Department of Social Services Director All FNS staff will be required to attend training sessions to address the negative findings found. The following FNS policies will be discussed during training to address the areas that need improvement: Food and Nutrition Services Policy 300 Sources of Income; Food and Nutrition Services Policy 305 Rules for Budgeting Income; Food and Nutrition Services Policy 310 Budgeting New, Changed, and Terminated Income FNS Supervisors will continue to conduct 2nd Party Reviews. As cases are reviewed, supervisors will provide any additional training as needed, either on an individual or group basis. The results from these 2nd party reviews will be shared with the Assistant Director and DSS Director. Corrections will be made to the cases in error, and documentation to support the corrections will be updated in NCFAST. The initial training will be completed by 11/30/2024. Our success will be measured by the results of the 2nd party reviews. We will continue to review the results of all 2nd party reviews, conduct group or individual training, and address issues through the disciplinary process if necessary. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Question Costs (continued) BRIAN EPLEY, COUNTY MANAGER KAY H. DRAUGHN, CLERK TO THE BOARD J. R. SIMPSON, II, COUNTY ATTORNEY KANIA LAW FIRM, P.A., TAX ATTORNEY JEFFREY C. BRITTAIN, CHAIR SCOTT MULWEE, VICE CHAIR RANDY BURNS, COMMISSIONER JOHNNIE W. CARSWELL, COMMISSIONER PHIL SMITH, COMMISSIONER 137

Categories

Eligibility Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 523394 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 523395 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 523396 2024-003
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1099836 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1099837 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1099838 2024-003
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1099839 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $3.63M
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $2.97M
93.659 Adoption Assistance $1.39M
10.561 State Administrative Matching Grants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program $1.14M
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $525,786
93.563 Child Support Services $520,656
10.557 Wic Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children $518,579
93.658 Foster Care Title IV-E $513,941
93.767 Children's Health Insurance Program $265,293
93.323 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (elc) $236,973
93.268 Immunization Cooperative Agreements $203,866
93.045 Special Programs for the Aging, Title Iii, Part C, Nutrition Services $175,659
16.838 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Other Substances Use Program $164,999
93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund $151,832
93.568 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance $126,256
93.217 Family Planning Services $65,284
10.666 Schools and Roads - Grants to Counties $61,602
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $54,073
93.674 John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood $46,841
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging, Title Iii, Part B, Grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $46,313
93.556 Marylee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program $42,448
93.991 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant $40,347
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $37,880
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $35,364
93.994 Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States $34,251
16.585 Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program $19,986
93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program $15,716
93.324 State Health Insurance Assistance Program $13,578
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $12,594
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $10,668
93.071 Medicare Enrollment Assistance Program $5,223
93.048 Special Programs for the Aging, Title Iv, and Title Ii, Discretionary Projects $2,800
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $1,660
21.016 Equitable Sharing $1,054
93.917 Hiv Care Formula Grants $214
93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance State/replacement Designee Administered Programs $186
93.977 Sexually Transmitted Diseases (std) Prevention and Control Grants $100
93.116 Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Tuberculosis Control Programs $50
93.645 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program $-20,567