Federal Reports

During this semiannual reporting period, we issued two audit reports that included $108,578 in questioned cost and 19 recommendations to improve stewardship of awards by recipients. Through our audit follow-up process, we worked with National Endowment for the Arts (Arts Endowment) staff and award recipients to clear 31 recommendations, which will further improve stewardship of awards. In addition, we addressed 17 of 18 hotline complaints, primarily enabling us to help citizens avoid scams by individuals fraudulently representing themselves as Arts Endowment employees.Furthermore, as required by the Consolidated Reports Act of 2000 and Office of Management and Budget Circular A-136, Financial Reporting Requirements, my staff worked with Agency officials to prepare a list of the top Arts Endowment management challenges. The challenge areas include financial management, human capital, information technology, inventory management, and awardee accountability. A summary of the challenge areas and any improvement by the Agency in these areas is included in this report.Finally, my office received a rating of "pass" based on a Peer Review conducted by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The CFTC OIG concluded that my office's system of quality control provided reasonable assurance that audits by my staff were performed and reported in accordance with required professional standards since the last Peer Review in 2016.The value-added work that my staff accomplished this period is due to their commitment to excellence, continued growth, and dedicated work effort, along with the support of Arts Endowment Chairman and her staff. I look forward to continuously working with Arts Endowment leadership and staff -- promoting economy, efficiency, effectiveness -- helping to ensure integrity, excellence, and value in the Arts Endowment's mission delivery.

This Semiannual Report presents activities and accomplishments from April 1, 2019, through September 30, 2019. The audits, investigations,and related work highlighted in the report are products of our mission to identify and stop fraud, waste, and abuse, and promote accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness through our oversight of the Department’s programs and operations. Our our audit related work included 9 reports with recommendations aimed at improving Department programs and operations. Our investigative work closed 45 investigations involving fraud or corruption and secured more than $8.5 million in restitution, settlements, fines, recoveries, and forfeitures. As a result of this work, criminal actions were taken against numerous people, including current and former school officials and service providers who cheated students and taxpayers.

The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issues its Semiannual Report to Congress summarizing the OIG’s activities and accomplishments from April 1 – September 30, 2019.

This audit is part of a series of hospital compliance audits. Using computer matching, data mining, and data analysis techniques, we identified hospital claims that were at risk for noncompliance with Medicare billing requirements. For calendar year 2017, Medicare paid hospitals $206 billion, which represents 55 percent of all fee-for-service payments for the year.