Finding 951997 (2023-004)

Significant Deficiency Repeat Finding
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-03-12
Audit: 294603
Organization: Richmond County (NC)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The County overspent its budget by over $200,000 due to not amending it for GASB 96 entries, leading to unauthorized expenditures.
  • Impacted Requirements: Medicaid eligibility processes were flawed, with 7 errors in referrals to Child Support Agencies and inaccurate information affecting eligibility determinations.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Review and amend the budget regularly; retrain staff on documentation and eligibility processes to prevent repeat findings.

Finding Text

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-004 IV-D Cooperation with Child Support SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Section II - Financial Statement Findings (continued) The County agrees with this finding. In accordance with North Carolina General Statutes SS 143C, budget revisions must be requested and approved prior to any commitment and/or expenditure that would exceed the amount budgeted. Entities should not overspend the authorized budget. The County overspent in Information Technology by $199,505, Court Facilities by $5,908, General and Administrative by $210,485, Jail by $1,491, and Emergency Services by $29,403. This was an oversight that resulted from not budgeting for GASB 96 entries. Efforts will be made to ensure that the budget is appropriately amended in the future. The Board spent funds that were not available for those respective departments. The County did not properly amend the budget as needed to account for the GASB 96 entries that were necessary in the current year. The budget should be reviewed and appropriate amendments made during the year. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. There were 7 errors discovered during our procedures that referrals between DSS and Child Support Agencies were not properly made. In accordance with the Medicaid Manual MA-3365, all Medicaid cases should be evaluated and referred to the Child Support Enforcement Agency (IV-D). The Child Support Enforcement Agency (IV-D) can assist the family in obtaining financial and/or medical support or medical support payments from the child’s noncustodial parent. Cooperation requirement with Department of Social Services (DSS) and Child Support Agencies must be met or good cause for not cooperating must be established when determine Medicaid eligibility. For those certifications/re-certifications there was a chance that information was not properly documented and reconciled to North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) and a participant could have been approved for benefits for which they were not eligible. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid administrative cost compliance audit. Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Passed through the NC Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid; Title XIX) AL #: 93.778 Finding: 2023-005 Inaccurate Information Entry SIGNIFICANT DEFICENCY Eligibility Criteria: Condition: Questioned Costs: Context: Effect: Identification of a repeat finding: Cause: Recommendation: Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: There was no known affect to eligibility and there were no known questioned costs. We examined 60 cases from of a total of 754,993 Medicaid claims from the Medicaid beneficiary report provided by NC Department of Health and Human Services to re-determine eligibility. These findings are being reported with the financial statement audit as it relates to Medicaid 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. Ineffective record keeping and ineffective case review process, incomplete documentation, and incorrect application of rules for purposes of determining eligibility. 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. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, 2022-006. Section III - Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs (continued) The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section. In accordance with 42 CFR 435, documentation must be obtained as needed to determine if a recipient meets specific standards, and documentation must be maintained to support eligibilitydeterminations. In accordance with 2 CFR 200, management should have an adequate system of internal controls procedures in place to ensure an applicant is properly determined or redetermined for benefits. There were 5 errors discovered during our procedures that inaccurate information was entered when determining eligibility. Human error in reading the Automated Collection and Tracking System (ACTS) report and/or ineffective case review process. Files should be reviewed internally to ensure proper information is in place and necessary procedures are taken when determining eligibility. The results found or documentation made in case notes should clearly indicate what actions were performed and the results of those actions. The County agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan in the following section.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Eligibility

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 375555 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 375556 2023-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 375557 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 375558 2023-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 375559 2023-008
    Significant Deficiency
  • 951998 2023-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 951999 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 952000 2023-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 952001 2023-008
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $2.13M
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $1.43M
93.658 Foster Care_title IV-E $998,370
93.568 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance $973,950
93.563 Child Support Enforcement $760,841
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $704,001
10.561 State Administrative Matching Grants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program $636,593
10.557 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children $416,530
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $325,080
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $307,825
93.323 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (elc) $192,521
93.045 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part C_nutrition Services $185,704
93.354 Public Health Emergency Response: Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis Response $123,833
93.268 Immunization Cooperative Agreements $115,616
93.994 Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States $105,501
93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund $93,233
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part B_grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $66,507
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $50,099
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $44,660
93.217 Family Planning_services $40,196
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $33,216
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $30,799
93.991 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant $30,608
93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program $30,603
93.767 Children's Health Insurance Program $28,292
93.116 Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Tuberculosis Control Programs $20,860
16.607 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program $14,410
93.674 John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood $14,307
93.645 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program $12,246
93.898 Cancer Prevention and Control Programs for State, Territorial and Tribal Organizations $9,500
93.556 Promoting Safe and Stable Families $3,986
93.977 Preventive Health Services_sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Grants $100
93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_state Administered Programs $98
93.560 Family Support Payments to States_assistance Payments $-129