After meeting with our Auditor this week we still have too many instances in which the distances between mileage entries cannot be verified. Mileage entries that are not specific locations continue to be a problem. Vague mileage entries cannot be checked by our auditor and are being returned to the Waiver Department for correction, as well as distances that appear to be inflated, or miles traveled for the benefit of the staff (personal errands) rather than the client.
Effective immediately, vague mileage entries or mileage that cannot be verified will be held for correction for one pay period. Staff will be notified when this happens and will be given two weeks to correct the mileage entries. After two weeks, any uncorrected mileage forms will be filed as non-payable.
Examples of unacceptable mileage entries:
My house--Auditors do not know where you live. Give an address.
Client's house--Auditors do not know where the client lives. Give an address.
Friend's house--Auditors do not know your friends. Give an address.
Amber's house--Auditors do not know Amber or where she lives. Give an address.
Church--Where is the church? Give the name of the church and the city if you don't know the address.
Yard Sale--Really? Give an address or at least a street name and city.
Doctor--Give the name of the office or clinic and a general location if you do not have an address.
Wendy's--Which Wendy's? Give a location--at the very least give the street name and city.
Walmart--Which Walmart? Auditors can't track mileage if they don't know where you stopped.
Ball game--This tells the auditors nothing. Give a location.
Arkadelphia--Where in Arkadelphia? Give an address or location.
Birthday party--How would an auditor know the location of the party? Be specific.
Civitan--The Civitan Center or the Group Home? The Civitan Shoppe or the Donation Center? Be specific; auditors cannot read your mind. Do not assume they know what you meant. Be clear.
When auditors question your mileage we turn to your documentation. If your travels are supported by good notes in your documentation, we stand a better chance of proving what you were doing when the auditors question it. Without good documentation we have nothing with which to defend your claims. The best way to protect yourself is to provide information that helps us answer questions about your activities when or if someone suspects a problem.
Please remember that it is NEVER acceptable to perform personal errands on Waiver time. Waiver hours belong to the client and the client may not simply tag along with staff for personal errands, appointments, or to retrieve family members to or from school or sporting events. It is certainly never acceptable to claim mileage for personal errands simply because the client was in the car with you at the time.
Examples of unacceptable mileage claims:
You may not drop off or pick up your children from school or any activities while working with your client. All mileage claims must be for the direct benefit of your client.
You may not pick up or drop off your spouse from work while working with your client.
You may not take your client along to a personal doctor's appointment for yourself or an appointment for your children or family members.
You may not do your personal grocery shopping or pay bills while working with your client.
You may not claim mileage for attending social activities that are not for the direct benefit of your client, including sporting events for your children.
You may not take your client along for Avon deliveries or for any other activity related to a second job or home-based employment.
You may not claim mileage for driving around looking for a new house or to meet a realtor. Waiver time belongs to the client and may not be used for the personal interests of staff.
Please also remember that every client has a monthly mileage allowance that is limited to a certain number of miles. This allowance should never be abused for the benefit of staff; it belongs to the client. Stealing miles (or inflating distances) for personal errands is the same as stealing from your client. Once a client's limit is exhausted, additional mileage cannot be reimbursed. All Waiver staff who work with your client use mileage from that allowance so it is possible to reach the end of the month and find that your client has run out of miles. When this happens we cannot reimburse any mileage until the first of the next month comes around again. If you turn in vague mileage or entries that cannot be verified and that mileage is held for corrections, it is possible that your client may run out of miles before you make those corrections. If or when that happens, the mileage will not be reimbursed. Help us avoid this unpleasant scenario by giving specific mileage entries every time!
