Page 35
SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTIONS 100 TO 900 800 Quality Assurance (Q.A.) 890 The Q.A. Appeal Process
890 The Q.A. Appeal Process SNAP MANUAL 12/01/98 Upon notification by Quality Assurance that a selected case is in error, the county office will have the opportunity to appeal the findings. Listed below are the requirements for appealing a case: 1. Just cause for appealing the case must be determined by the DCO county supervisor and the Program Support Specialist. 2. An appeal packet must be prepared. The packet must contain a narrative justification with specific policy references along with any supporting documentary evidence. 3. Within ten calendar days, the case record must be submitted along with the appeal to the Quality Assurance Unit. The address is: Administrator Quality Assurance P. O. Box 1437, Slot 501 Little Rock, AR 72203 The entire appeal process must occur within the specified ten calendar day period. The ten-day period begins with the date that Q.A. sends the error summary and appeal form to the county office. (This is the date Q.A. sends out the error summary and not the date the error summary is received in the county office.) All documentation for the appeal must be received by the Quality Assurance Unit no later than the tenth day. If, in rare instances, the preparation of the appeal will require more than ten days, advance approval must be given by the Administrator of the Quality Assurance Unit. Extensions granted will be limited to five days. There may be a time period at the last of the calendar year when it will not be possible to allow counties a full ten-day period to submit an appeal since the agency must meet federal Quality Control (Q.C.) completion requirements. On any case submitted for an appeal of a Q.A. error, adverse action on the matter under appeal will be delayed until a decision is rendered in the appeal. County offices will be notified of the decision via memorandum from the Administrator, Quality Assurance Unit.