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Brought to you by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
Federal Reports
Report Date
Agency Reviewed / Investigated
Report Title
Type
Location
Department of Education
Risk of Closed Institutions of Higher Education Receiving Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grants
The purpose of this report is to share with the U.S. Department of Education (Department) observations made by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) concerning institutions of higher education (IHE) that ceased to provide educational instruction in all programs of study (closed) and received or had access to coronavirus response and relief aid through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). We found that 17 IHEs that closed on or before December 31, 2020, applied for and were awarded a total of $4,912,675 of HEERF grants by OPE. Of these 17 IHEs, 14 drew down HEERF funds and 3 did not draw down any of their awards. Of the 14 IHEs that drew down their HEERF awards, 8 made drawdowns after the IHE closure date listed in the Postsecondary Education Participants System (PEPS). The total of these post-closure drawdowns was $1,261,329. In addition, 1 of the 14 closed IHEs that drew down funds made a draw of $364,715 one day before closing.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Met Many Requirements, but It Did Not Fully Comply With the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 and Applicable Improper Payment Guidance for Fiscal Year 2020
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) must review the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA, P.L. No. 116-117) and related applicable improper payment guidance. Ernst & Young (EY), LLP, under its contract with the HHS OIG, audited the fiscal year (FY) 2020 HHS improper payment information reported in the Agency Financial Report (AFR) to determine compliance with PIIA and related guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This report recaps OIG achievements in FY2020, in core mission as well as organizational improvements. It contains a spotlight on our CARES Act work and highlights key statistical impacts from OIG.
The Medicare hospice benefit allows providers to claim Medicare reimbursement for hospice services provided to individuals with a life expectancy of 6 months or less who have elected hospice care. Previous OIG audits and evaluations found that Medicare inappropriately paid for hospice services that did not meet certain Medicare requirements.Our objective was to determine whether hospice services provided by Alive Hospice, Inc. (Alive), complied with Medicare requirements.
The Medicare hospice benefit allows providers to claim Medicare reimbursement for hospice services provided to individuals with a life expectancy of 6 months or less who have elected hospice care. Previous OIG audits and evaluations found that Medicare inappropriately paid for hospice services that did not meet certain Medicare requirements.Our objective was to determine whether hospice services provided by Ambercare Hospice, Inc. (Ambercare), complied with Medicare requirements.
