| 2. Training and technical assistance for providers. The |
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Audit for |
MaineCare and Social Services shall review, in consultation with |
representatives of mental health, mental retardation, substance |
abuse and long-term care providers, its existing programs of |
training for providers to determine whether those programs are |
sufficient to provide complete and current information, on an |
ongoing basis, regarding the process of auditing cost reports and |
agreement settlements and the substantive standards and |
interpretations to be applied in conducting such audits. The |
office shall identify, with reasonable frequency, the |
programmatic changes needed to ensure that sufficient training is |
available to all categories of care providers and to independent |
public accountants providing services to such providers and that |
a system is in place to make available to providers, on request, |
knowledgeable members of its staff to provide such technical |
assistance as providers may require in order to achieve |
compliance with the standards applied by the office. By January |
15, 2008, the department shall report to the joint standing |
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and |
human services matters on its findings and on the dates by which |
the necessary programmatic changes will be implemented. |