Federal Reports

Corporation management reported VISTA Project Sponsor Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN), Atlanta, GA, improperly utilized its VISTA members when it directed members to perform staff functions and changed clients for their services.

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 requires CMS to phase in a Competitive Bidding Program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). Under this program, suppliers compete to become Medicare contract suppliers for selected DMEPOS items, including diabetes test strips provided via mail order. Additionally, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) requires mail order suppliers to demonstrate in their bids that they can provide at least 50 percent, by volume, of the types of diabetes test strips provided to Medicare beneficiaries. MIPPA requires OIG to determine the market shares of the types of diabetes test strips before each round of competitive bidding. CMS uses OIG's data to help ensure contracted suppliers' bids adhere to the 50-percent rule.

This is our final report on OIG’s audit of NOAA’s National Weather Service’s (NWS) oversight of service contracts, document retention, and reporting. Our objective was to evaluate whether NWS has adequate controls in place to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations for personnel support acquired through service contracts.