The Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance is responsible for regulating the State’s health care professions and practitioners. In previous audit reports, we noted findings related to the Department of Health’s Medical Quality Assurance function and its administration of the Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund (MQATF). Specifically, our findings addressed the inadequacy of renewal fees to cover the cost of regulation, the declining cash balance of the MQATF, the inappropriate allocation of indirect costs to the MQATF, and the implementation of an electronic continuing education (CE) tracking system. The scope of this audit focused on the current status of those findings. Specifically:

License renewal fees established by the Boards, in consultation with the Department, continue to be inadequate to cover the costs of regulating the majority of health care professions.

The Department continues to inappropriately charge to the MQATF costs associated with certain administrative positions that perform duties that do not solely benefit the MQA function.

The Department contracted for a CE tracking system without adequately addressing identified options and associated problems to ensure the procured system would be effective and viable. Additionally, the Department’s contract for the CE tracking system contained provisions not authorized by law.