Federal Reports

Since FY 2014, DHS improved conference spending reporting and implemented policies and procedures to ensure proper oversight and accurate and timely reporting. However, we found instances where DHS did not comply with annual conference reporting requirements. The Department failed to report two conferences costing more than $100,000 each. The Department also did not always report all hosted conferences costing more than $20,000 to OIG within 15 days of the conclusion of each conference. In addition, the Department did not always properly record actual costs accurately and within 45 days of the conclusion of each conference. Although DHS did not always comply with reporting requirements, in most cases, its FY 2016 conference expenses appeared appropriate, reasonable, and necessary.

The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) reformed the way the Medicare program sets payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests (lab tests) under Part B. CMS's new rates, which took effect on January 1, 2018, are based on lab-reported data: rates paid by private payers such as private health insurers, Medicaid managed care organizations, and Medicare Advantage plans. As part of the same legislation reforming Medicare's payment system, PAMA mandates that OIG conduct analyses it determines appropriate with respect to the implementation and effect of the new payment system. This review focuses on CMS's implementation activities in 2017 and the new payment rates that took effect on January 1, 2018.

The OIG investigated an allegation that a National Park Service (NPS) biologist had coerced at least two interns into having a sexual relationship, and that the biologist misused his position to lead interns to believe he could influence their chances of gaining employment at the NPS.We found no evidence that the biologist manipulated any NPS interns, or that he misused his position. We determined that the biologist had a personal relationship with one former intern, but the intern was not an NPS employee at the time and the relationship did not violate any NPS policies. The biologist and former intern ended their relationship and the former intern is now an NPS employee. We found no evidence, however, that the biologist influenced the former intern’s selection for Federal employment.

We completed our work for the second part of our series evaluating the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (USBR’s) operational and technical practices for protecting hydropower dams categorized as critical infrastructure from emerging cyber threats. The second part of this evaluation was limited to another USBR industrial control system that provides monitoring, alarming, and process control to ensure the safe and reliable operations of the water and power facilities for another dam. We determined that additional efforts on this project are not needed. Further, the recommendations in our first report in this series – to improve the USBR’s account management and personnel security practices – apply to all of USBR’s hydropower dams.