Finding Text
Finding 2022-001 Allowable Costs, Activities Allowed and Reporting 93.498 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural Distributions Material Weakness and Material Noncompliance Criteria: The Department of Health and Human Services provided terms and conditions associated with the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural Distributions. Those terms and conditions outlined the usages of the PRF distributions received, specifically related to expenses, and lost revenues. PRF distributions should only be used for expenses to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus that have not been reimbursed by other sources or that other sources are not obligated to reimburse and calculate lost revenues as outlined in the terms and conditions. Management should have effectively designed controls in place to prevent or detect and correct noncompliance. Condition: The System submitted lost revenues through the Department of Health and Human Services PRF portal for the second period of availability in which the lost revenue calculations were overstating the lost revenues between two separate portal submissions. Lost revenues were reported on a consolidated basis for the parent portal submission and included subsidiary lost revenues that were also included on a separate subsidiary portal submission, therefore overstating lost revenues on the parent portal submission. Context: During testing of period 2 reporting, we noted lost revenues were included both at the parent level and subsidiary level resulting in an overstatement of lost revenues. Questioned Costs: N/A Effect: Management failed to prevent, or detect and correct, noncompliance such that the System overstated lost revenues under the terms and conditions of the program. Cause: Lack of effectively designed and implemented controls, including oversight and detail review of the portal submission through the Department of Health and Human Services PRF portal for the second period of availability. Identification as a repeat finding: N/A Auditors? Recommendation: Effective controls over compliance and financial reporting should be implemented to ensure lost revenues submitted through the Department of Health and Human Services PRF portal meet the criteria established in the terms and conditions and there is not a reasonable possibility that the schedule could be materially misstated. Management Response: See corrective action plan.