Date Created: December 22, 2023 Last Updated: December 22, 2023
Overview: Cornell Health provides medical services and pharmaceuticals to students as needed. Students pay for services and prescriptions using various forms of payment. Payments include credit cards, cash and checks. Credit card processing, cash handling, and check handling require due diligence from staff to prevent misappropriation and loss of income.
Criticality: Moderate/High | Frequency: Daily | Turnaround: 24 Hours |
Processing Time: Within 24 hours of payment receipt
Start Date: N/A | How Triggered: Customer pays for services or goods | Due Date: N/A |
Process Owner(s) / Key Parties / Contacts / Responsibilities:
- Customer: Pay charges on a timely basis with a valid form of payment
- Unit Staff/Cashiers: Accept payments in the form of cash, checks and credit cards. Verify cash received is not counterfeit, endorse all checks immediately and secure cash and checks in locked safe to ensure proper security of payments received. When processing credit card payments, only staff trained in PCI compliance may accept this form of payment to ensure compliance with PCI requirements. Batches are reconciled at end of each shift and discrepancies are reported to Billing Staff
- Unit Billing Staff: Verify counts for all payment batches received from cashiers and complete daily reconciliation sheets on network drive. Creates KFS AD edoc to record bank deposits and arranges armored truck pick ups.
- Who in unit approves edoc and gets notified of discrepancies?
Key Documents / Sources of Information:
- University Policy 3.22, Safekeeping of Financial Assets, Including Cash, Checks, and Securities
- University Policy 3.17, Accepting Credit Cards to Conduct University Business
- University Policy 3.6, Financial Irregularities, Reporting and Investigation
- University Policy 3.26, Financial Internal Controls
- Cash Management Forms
- University Policy 5.4.2, Reporting Electronic Security Incidents
- PCI Incident Response Plan
- Student and Campus Life Business Service Center Process and Procedure Manual
System Access Needed:
- Cardpointe
- Kuali Financial System
- NelNet – QuikPay
- QS1
- Point and Click
Common Problems or Issues Encountered:
- Bad checks, write offs, insurance co-pay billing issues
Process Documented in Chronological Order:
- All in person payments are made to a cashier and entered into QS1 or PNC.
- Cash and credit card slips are kept in a cash drawer during the day.
- Checks are stamped with our endorsement when received.
- All money is kept in secure office and locked in a safe at night.
- Access to the safe is limited to Pharmacy Staff.
- At the end of the day, each pharmacy tech reconciles their cash drawer to QS1. The credit card total is also checked against the totals from the credit card machines. Any discrepancies are noted on the paperwork.
- Billing staff member retrieves the paperwork from Pharmacy and prepares a Cornell University Deposit Form and verifies deposit amount.
- The money is then placed in a locked bank bag. When a deposit is ready to be picked up billing staff will contact the Cash Management office. The deposit pickup is scheduled as is picked up by Loomis armored car services.
- Checks are processed through a remote deposit. Any foreign checks cannot be scanned through the remote deposit scanner and must be sent to the bank along with any cash.
- Any checks returned to Cornell Health from Tompkins Community Bank triggers the payment to be reversed in PNC/QS1 and contact the customer to obtain another form of payment.
Check and CC payments processed by Billing Staff
- Checks are picked up from the mail room by Billing Staff.
- QS1 checks are processed through a remote deposit the same day they are received and an Advance Deposit edoc is prepared and submitted in KFS.
- PNC checks are stored in a locked office in Billing and are processed through a remote deposit weekly. An Advance Deposit edoc is processed in KFS the same day the checks are remotely deposited.
- Faxed credit card payments are received in the billing department and are processed on a separate credit card reader in the billing department the same day the are received. Any paperwork containing credit card information is then deposited in the locked bin for the shredding service to pickup and shred.
- Credit card payments are also received over the phone and are processed while on the phone with the payer. No credit card information is written down.
- Credit card batch amount is checked against credit card payments posted in PNC when completed.
Key Risks | Key Controls |
· Misappropriation of cash or checks · Theft of cash or checks could result in disciplinary action and/or legal implications to staff and loss of revenue for the University. · Credit Card data could be at risk of fraud if not handled appropriately. | · Cash handling policies and procedures are currently in place. · Cashier payment batches are reviewed and verified by billing staff. · Payments are secured in a locked safe with limited access. · All cashiers complete PCI training annually and follow PCI process requirements. |
Process Inefficiencies To Be Addressed:
- KFS Deposit edoc is not approved prior to final submission
Process Documented in Chronological Order:
- All in person payments are made to a cashier and entered into QS1 or PNC.
- Cash and credit card slips are kept in a cash drawer during the day.
- Checks are stamped with our endorsement when received.
- All money is kept in secure office and locked in a safe at night.
- Access to the safe is limited to Pharmacy Staff.
- At the end of the day, each pharmacy tech reconciles their cash drawer to QS1. The credit card total is also checked against the totals from the credit card machines. Any discrepancies are noted on the paperwork.
- Billing staff member retrieves the paperwork from Pharmacy and prepares a Cornell University Deposit Form and verifies deposit amount.
- The money is then placed in a locked bank bag. When a deposit is ready to be picked up billing staff will contact the Cash Management office. The deposit pickup is scheduled as is picked up by Loomis armored car services.
- Checks are processed through a remote deposit. Any foreign checks cannot be scanned through the remote deposit scanner and must be sent to the bank along with any cash.
- Any checks returned to Cornell Health from Tompkins Community Bank triggers the payment to be reversed in PNC/QS1 and contact the customer to obtain another form of payment.
Check and CC payments processed by Billing Staff
- Checks are picked up from the mail room by Billing Staff.
- QS1 checks are processed through a remote deposit the same day they are received and an Advance Deposit edoc is prepared and submitted in KFS.
- PNC checks are stored in a locked office in Billing and are processed through a remote deposit weekly. An Advance Deposit edoc is processed in KFS the same day the checks are remotely deposited.
- Faxed credit card payments are received in the billing department and are processed on a separate credit card reader in the billing department the same day the are received. Any paperwork containing credit card information is then deposited in the locked bin for the shredding service to pickup and shred.
- Credit card payments are also received over the phone and are processed while on the phone with the payer. No credit card information is written down.
- Credit card batch amount is checked against credit card payments posted in PNC when completed.
Loomis Armored Car Deposits
- Bags with broken locks or fasteners should not be used. Damaged bags should be replaced or returned the Rifkin Co. for repair.
- Insure that each bag is locked before pickup.
- Each department should have enough locking bags to keep the cycle moving smoothly. Before ordering new or replacement bags, contact Cash Management Office for additional instructions.
Metrics
- Accounts Receivable aging balance increases
- Write off of customer balances
- Cash receipt variances over time
Glossary of key terms/acronyms:
- KFS – Kuali Financial System
- PNC – Point and Click System
CH Cash, CC Process Flow Chart
