Delaware News

State Auditor McGuiness Finds Issues with Patients’ Trust Funds

Auditor of Accounts | Former Auditor of Accounts - Kathy McGuiness | Date Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2022



DOVER, Del. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness announced today the release of an Agreed Upon Procedures report titled “Department of Health and Social Services Delaware Psychiatric Center Patients’ Trust Fund.”

“The report released today is the first of three my office conducted reviewing Patients’ Trust Funds. Patients’ Trust Funds are accounts held by a long-term care facility or senior care unit on behalf of its residents and is used to help them cover any extra expense they incur,” said Auditor McGuiness. “Patients’ Trust Funds may be organized as single accounts that comingle money contributed by all of the residents who choose to use it, but each resident’s credits and debits must be tracked separately” said Auditor McGuiness.

This engagement was performed in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 2906 and in response to confidential fraud allegations reported to the Auditor’s Office. The limited scope of procedures was designed to ensure compliance with specific internal control requirements and 16 Del. C. Chapter 60 Section 6002, 6003, and 6004 which is applicable to any institutions operated, maintained, or under the supervision of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS).

“The state performed agreed upon procedures on a sample of Patients’ Trust Fund accounts including verifying interest earned and cash disbursement and cash receipt transactions applied and reconciled are compliant with the Center’s policy and procedures and the state’s financial accounting requirements,” said McGuiness.

The organizations reviewed include Community Services Unit, Delaware Psychiatric Center, and the Stockley Center, and these organizations provide services to thousands of patients a year.

“Reviewing these patients’ trust funds is so important for ensuring our vulnerable populations’ resources are being managed appropriately by the organizations they rely on,” said, McGuiness. “There are a few issues we observed and hope to see addressed when these organizations are next reviewed, but I am also happy to report that we saw some of our prior issues resolved since our last review. I’m optimistic these organizations will continue to improve to better serve our communities,” said State Auditor McGuiness.

The new special report, “Department of Health and Social Services Delaware Psychiatric Center Patients’ Trust Fund” can be found here.

 

Learn about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.

 

 

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State Auditor McGuiness Finds Issues with Patients’ Trust Funds

Auditor of Accounts | Former Auditor of Accounts - Kathy McGuiness | Date Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2022



DOVER, Del. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness announced today the release of an Agreed Upon Procedures report titled “Department of Health and Social Services Delaware Psychiatric Center Patients’ Trust Fund.”

“The report released today is the first of three my office conducted reviewing Patients’ Trust Funds. Patients’ Trust Funds are accounts held by a long-term care facility or senior care unit on behalf of its residents and is used to help them cover any extra expense they incur,” said Auditor McGuiness. “Patients’ Trust Funds may be organized as single accounts that comingle money contributed by all of the residents who choose to use it, but each resident’s credits and debits must be tracked separately” said Auditor McGuiness.

This engagement was performed in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 2906 and in response to confidential fraud allegations reported to the Auditor’s Office. The limited scope of procedures was designed to ensure compliance with specific internal control requirements and 16 Del. C. Chapter 60 Section 6002, 6003, and 6004 which is applicable to any institutions operated, maintained, or under the supervision of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS).

“The state performed agreed upon procedures on a sample of Patients’ Trust Fund accounts including verifying interest earned and cash disbursement and cash receipt transactions applied and reconciled are compliant with the Center’s policy and procedures and the state’s financial accounting requirements,” said McGuiness.

The organizations reviewed include Community Services Unit, Delaware Psychiatric Center, and the Stockley Center, and these organizations provide services to thousands of patients a year.

“Reviewing these patients’ trust funds is so important for ensuring our vulnerable populations’ resources are being managed appropriately by the organizations they rely on,” said, McGuiness. “There are a few issues we observed and hope to see addressed when these organizations are next reviewed, but I am also happy to report that we saw some of our prior issues resolved since our last review. I’m optimistic these organizations will continue to improve to better serve our communities,” said State Auditor McGuiness.

The new special report, “Department of Health and Social Services Delaware Psychiatric Center Patients’ Trust Fund” can be found here.

 

Learn about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.

 

 

###

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.