Open Recommendations

Direct OSU to strengthen its administrative and management procedures for reimbursing lodging expenses claimed at a rate that exceeds the allowable per diem rate. Processes could include: a. Requiring travelers on sponsored projects to request approval from OSRAA when they anticipate incurring lodging expenses that exceed the allowable per diem rate. b. When applicable, maintaining documentation to support that the rates offered by the conference lodging provider were not available at the time the traveler booked the lodging.

Direct OSU to strengthen its administrative and management procedures for travel, procurement, PSCs, effort certifications, cost transfers, fellowship appointments, and currency conversions on sponsored awards. Procedures could include: a. Requiring periodic training for PIs and other personnel responsible for making travel arrangements, purchasing services, charging PSCs, certifying effort reports, processing cost transfers, and appointing fellows on sponsored awards. b. Implementing controls that would prevent OSU personnel from traveling or appointing fellows on sponsored projects without first obtaining OSRAA’s approval. c. Requiring award participants to provide cost comparisons for all travel requests that include personal or train travel before OSU approves…

Direct OSU to strengthen its administrative and management procedures for establishing indirect cost rates for Federal awards to ensure that it applies costs at the rates in effect as of the effective date of the award.

See note in Additional Information

We recommend that the Ohio Department of Medicaid implement system prompts in Ohio Benefits that encourage users to verify the beneficiary’s date of birth or gender before making changes in the system

We recommend that the Ohio Department of Medicaid refund $6,729,855 (Federal share) in overpayments to the Federal Government

CMS should identify States that have limited availability of behavioral health services and develop strategies and share information to ensure that Medicaid managed care enrollees have timely access to these services.

New Mexico Human Services Department should take steps to expand New Mexico’s overall behavioral health workforce.

New Mexico Human Services Department should take steps to increase adoption of electronic health records and participation in the State Health Information Exchange by behavioral health providers.

New Mexico Human Services Department should work with State partners to strengthen access to broadband in rural and frontier counties.

New Mexico Human Services Department should improve access to transportation for Medicaid managed care enrollees needing behavioral health services.

New Mexico Human Services Department should increase behavioral health providers’ participation in Medicaid managed care.

New Mexico Human Services Department should share information about open-access scheduling and the Treat First Clinical Model and promote expansion.

New Mexico Human Services Department should review its standards governing access to care and determine whether additional standards are needed for behavioral health providers.

New Mexico Human Services Department should expand the use of telehealth to increase the availability of behavioral health services.

New Mexico Human Services Department should identify and share information about strategies to improve care coordination.

New Mexico Human Services Department should expand initiatives to integrate behavioral and primary healthcare.

The Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement should develop Service-wide processes and procedures to ensure that all operating divisions suppress the issuance of nonstatutory notices to taxpayers that have a UD mail indicator on their account; suppress the issuance of correspondence when a taxpayer's address of record is an IRS campus; and research and update taxpayer addresses for which the USPS returns undeliverable mail with a yellow label that provides a more current address.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should install and use hygiene software to perfect taxpayer addresses on the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) RTS system.

Remove any of the approximately $540 million in remaining underpayments that are not payable.

Establish a process to timely remove from deceased recipients’ records any Supplemental Security Income underpayments that are not payable.

Ensures that the Council complies with the activities allowed or unallowed requirements.

Recovers $194,821 from the Council, if applicable.

Ensures that the Council complies with the procurement and suspension and debarment requirements.

Recommendation 1 - We recommend the State agency refund $180,288 ($118,990 Federal share) for duplicate Title IV-D MPRs.