Corporate Compliance

GOV’T AUDIT INSIDER OIG to North Carolina: Refund $8.2 million

Healthcare Auditing Weekly, October 28, 2005

The OIG has determined that North Carolina should refund $8.2 million in federal money that was transferred into North Carolina's general and Year 2000 (Y2K) funds.

The OIG audited refunds and transfers from the state's Information Technology Services' (ITS) internal service fund for fiscal years 2002 and 2003 and all transfers that ITS made to the state's Y2K fund in fiscal years 1997 and 1998.

The OIG determined that ITS transferred $34.2 million in excess revenues from its internal service fund to the state's Y2K fund and general fund. The state failed to return the federal share of $8.2 million (consisting of $4.5 million transferred to the Y2K fund and $3.7 million transferred to the general fund).

The state made the oversight because ITS did not have procedures in place to ensure that the federal government received its share of all revenues in excess of costs, according to the OIG. In addition to recommending the refunds, the OIG further recommended that the state implement appropriate procedures to ensure that the federal government receives its share of any revenues in excess of costs in the future.

To accomplish the audit the OIG

  • reviewed applicable laws and regulations

  • reviewed related work previously performed

  • analyzed the ITS methodology for calculating revenues in excess of costs and the federal share refunded to user agencies

  • determined whether the state agency that received the largest refunds from ITS credited the federal government for its share

  • analyzed operating, nonoperating, and Y2K fund transfers from ITS

  • reviewed the state's central service cost allocation plans for 1996 through 2003

    State officials generally disagreed with the findings. Despite the state's assertions, the OIG continues to believe their calculations are accurate.

      Click here to read the audit report, "Audit of the North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services Internal Service Fund ," (A-04-04-03503) issued Sept. 30, 2005.

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