Federal Reports

This report summarizes work we initiated and completed during this semiannual period on a number of critical Departmental activities. Over the past 6 months—in addition to issuing our annual Top Management Challenges—our office completed 19 audits, inspections, and responses to Congressional requests.

Recent investigations by the Office of Inspector General have shown a number of instances in which hospices inappropriately billed Medicare for hospice general inpatient care (GIP). Misuse of GIP includes care being billed but not provided and beneficiaries receiving care they do not need. Such misuse has human costs for this vulnerable population as well as financial costs for Medicare. The goals of hospice care are to help terminally ill beneficiaries with a life expectancy of 6 months or less to continue life with minimal disruptions and to support beneficiaries' families and other caregivers. The care is palliative, rather than curative. Hospices must establish an individualized plan of care for each beneficiary. GIP is the second most expensive level of hospice care and is intended to be short-term inpatient care for symptom management and pain control that cannot be handled in other settings.

ARC grant management system and available Basic Agency Monitoring Reports (BAMR) received from States administering construction related grants and consideration of ARC guidelines that permit States requests to revise or revoke commission approval of grants if the work intended to be assisted is not underway within 18 months of grant approval

To view the report, please click on the link below.