Finding Text
2022-001 ? Significantly Deficiency and Noncompliance ? Special Tests ? Sliding Fee Program information: AL # 93.224 and 93.527, Health Center Program Cluster, Department of Health and Human Services. Criteria: Health centers must obtain sliding fee applications so that amounts owed for health center services by eligible patients are adjusted (discounted) based on the patient?s ability to pay. Condition: We tested 40 sliding fee encounters and noted that 2 of 40 sliding fee encounters tested had did not have sliding fee applications and 3 out of 40 patients were discounted the wrong amount. Questioned Costs: None Cause and Effect: The Organization failed to verify sliding fee applications were obtained and properly approved for all patients receiving discounts and incorrectly applied sliding fee discounts to charges. Recommendation: We recommend that sliding fee applications be completed and properly approved for each sliding fee patient. Procedures should be implemented to verify applications are completed before the encounter is billed. In addition, the Organization could consider doing sampling throughout the year to verify sliding fee applications are obtained, completed, and agree to the discount applied. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding. Corrective Action Plan: See attached correct plan.