TGIF! That seems to be the mantra at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB has again made a big announcement late in the day on a Friday. Last August, OMB sent out word after 4:30 p.m. Eastern time that was issuing the DATA Act Section 5 Pilot Report, updated Uniform Guidance FAQs, and 2017 Compliance Supplement. We also learned on a Friday in May that this year’s Compliance Supplement was set for release.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to review its regulatory authority and audit resources to determine how to better identify the risk of improper payments in the Medicaid program that its current risk measurement process is not capturing, in response to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Now that 2018 is almost half over, why not turn our attention to 2019? Perhaps one of the most eye-opening statements we heard at this week’s American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ annual Not-for-Profit Conference at National Harbor, Md., occurred during the single audit update session yesterday. During this session, the presenters covered numerous audit-related topics, including the 2018 Compliance Supplement, the upcoming 2018 Yellow Book revision, laws affecting the uniform guidance and other audit issues. At one point, the discussion turned to the 2019 Compliance Supplement, and these words were uttered:

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Single Audit Information Service.) Officials with Connect for Health Colorado (CHC) recently stated they now have developed a cost allocation methodology for its health insurance eligibility determination system that is based on relative benefits to CHC and that tracks costs to the correct reporting period, in response to a recent audit recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG).

As we approach the beginning of summer, we look forward not only to the warming temperatures, but also to getting out and meeting folks in the grants and audit community at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ annual Not-for-Profit Conference, which will occur next week at National Harbor, Md. The conference is attended by hundreds of accountants, auditors, not-for-profit personnel and others interest in learning more about issues facing their industry.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) After determining that communities using the Local Government Assessment Tool deemed it confusing and difficult to use when developing their required assessment of fair housing, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a May 23 Federal Register notice withdrew the tool and will seek public comment on revamping the tool “to provide local governments the best framework to further fair housing choices in their communities.”

Talk about consistency! Mayors nationwide deliver seminal addresses in which they detail their vision for the city’s future. The National League of Cities (NLC) recently released its “State of the Cities 2018” report, an annual report accessing top issues that mayors discuss in these seminal addresses, and for the fifth year straight, economic development emerged as the top area of concern.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Single Audit Information Service.) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is amending its audit regulations so that they apply to both grantees and borrowers participating in its grant and loan programs, along with making several other significant updates, under a recently released final rule. The rule will become effective July 23 and will be applicable for financial audits for periods ending on or after Dec. 15, 2018.