THE Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is gathering and will soon transmit all the information that the members of House Committee on Ways and Means requested during a budget hearing on Wednesday last week.
CHCC Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna and Chief Financial Officer Perlita Santos answered several questions raised by the committee’s chairman, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, and members: Reps. John Paul Sablan, Manny Castro and Marissa Flores.
Flores noted that the last single audit conducted for CHCC was more than five years ago.
Santos said CHCC has awarded a job contract for single audits for the years, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the audits are ongoing.
She said CHCC is also completing a four-year Medicaid cost report, which is required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and will be completed by the end of this year.
Flores also asked questions pertaining to funding amounts, and Muna and Santos did their best to answer them. But they said they did not have the exact amounts. Flores then asked them to provide the House copies of financial records.
“Looking at your [funding] request, I see a lot of expenses that really don’t tell me much of your income,” Flores said.
Aside from the financial statement for the years 2017 to 2023, Flores also wants to see the list of all vendors and individuals who were paid out of the $11 million American Rescue Plan Act funding the CHCC received, and a list of other federal grants awarded to CHCC.
She also asked for a copy of CHCC’s report on receivables from 2017 to present and its five-year plan.
Flores likewise asked for an update on the Health Network Program, previously known as medical referral services program, including its rules and regulations, who is eligible for the program, the kinds of services provided and records of medical referral payments.
In a follow up interview on Friday, Muna said, “We are putting it all together and will be transmitting it soon.”
CHCC is an autonomous public corporation that receives an annual subsidy from the central government.
