Validate Budgets for Accuracy

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/04/2021 - 15:37
Policy: 

Payment to a workers cannot be made without an active budget for the participant receiving service. The budget must cover the workers’s work date and the service type provided.  Any timesheets received that are not covered by a budget are denied.

F/EA receives budget data from the program administrator or counselors.  Each budget must be approved by <<X>> and <<Y>>.  Upon receipt, F/EA verifies that each budget is accurately calculated and includes appropriate start and end dates. Each valid budget is entered into F/EA’s Payroll System <<and billing system>>>.  A valid budget must be received by the F/EA for a participant before the participant is approved to receive service.
 
Budgets are processed by the <<Staff Title>> daily.
 
<<Insert how budgets are received by F/EA.  Are they paper forms?  Are they electronic submissions?>>
Procedure: 

Validate Each Individual Budget for Accuracy

F/EA receives individual budgets from Program Administrator or Counselors. Upon receipt, F/EA verifies that each budget is accurately calculated and includes appropriate start and end dates. Follow this process to validate the accuracy of a budget when it is received for a new participant, an existing participant or if the budget is an extension.
1.      Budgets are received daily via <<mail and fax>>
2.      When received, budgets are placed in assigned <<Staff Title>>’s inbox
3.      <<Staff Title>> collects budgets from inbox each day
4.      <<Staff Title>> identifies participant name on budget
5.      Open payroll system
6.      Press <<>> to find the participant in the system by last name.  Ensure the participant listed on the budget is in the system.
7.      Review the budget
8.      Identify the budget expiration date
9.      Verify that the budget expiration date is after the budget start date
10.  If the budget expiration date is not after the budget start date, the budget must be corrected (Go to Request Correction to Budgets as Needed below)
11.  Review the first line of the budget
12.  <<Insert what to check for>>
13. <<Insert everything that needs to be checked.  Pay special attention to make sure sufficient funds have been authorized to cover employer taxes and workers' compensation costs>>
14.  After verifying the budget for accuracy, <<Staff Title>> initials and dates the budget.

 

Request Correction to Individual Budgets As Needed
If there are any discrepancies found in the above process, Validate Each Individual Budget for Accuracy, a correction to the budget is requested of the <<the Program Administrator>>. Requests for corrections to budgets are made the same business day that the discrepancy is identified.
1.      After identifying a discrepancy on the budget, <<Staff Title>> requests a correction to the budget
2.      <<Staff Title>> logs in to Payroll System by double clicking on the icon on the computer desktop
3.      Enter user name and password
4.      Search for the participant by the participant number written on the budget
5.      Click on Notes tab
6.      Select “Add Note”
7.    Write “Waiting on budget correction”
8.    Select “Save”
9.      Prepare a Fax Cover sheet
10.  On fax cover, describe discrepancies on budget
11.  Request that budget be corrected as soon as possible
12.  Provide contact information for <<Staff Title>> in case Program Administrator has additional questions
13.  Fax Cover Sheet and budget to Program Administrator
Internal Controls: 

The internal controls used by F/EA to monitor this process establish responsibility, segregate duties, document procedures and ensure independent internal verification.

  1. All systems are password protected
    • Only staff with direct responsibility for certain Prior Authorization duties have password access to systems
  2. Each budget is verified for accuracy
    • The budget is verified for mathematical accuracy
    • The budget is verified for date accuracy
  3. After validating the budget, the <<Staff Title>> initials and date stamps the budget
  4. Program Administrator is notified in writing of budgets requiring corrections
  5. <<The budget is scanned to the participant file and saved for a minimum of 7 years>>