Federal Reports

The OIG audited the overall effectiveness of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) patch management process for high-risk, end-user desktops and laptops as they are most vulnerable to spear phishing, a very common tactic used in today's environment to infiltrate computer networks and spread malware. We found (1) TVA is at potential risk for compromise as the patching status was unknown for 12 percent of desktops and laptops in our sample due to desktops and laptops not being managed in patch management tools; (2) 1 of 162 desktops and laptops tested had a missing patch that could lead to remote code execution that has a public exploit available; and (3) the patching process for Mac desktops and laptops is not formally documented. TVA management agreed with our findings and recommendations.

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The audit objectives were to determine whether program funds were managed in accordance with the ARC and Federal grant requirements

At the request of the former Office of Facilities and Logistics (OFL) Director, and in accordance with our annual plan, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted follow-up work on the United States Capitol Police’s (USCP or Department) implementation of recommendations contained within Report Number OIG-2014-03. Our objective of this follow-up analysis was to confirm that the Department took the appropriate corrective actions and controls the Department implemented were operating efficiently and effectively. Our scope included existing controls over ammunition related to implementation of recommendations outlined in our previous report.

Some hospitals in Medicare Jurisdiction E did not always claim Medicare graduate medical education (GME) reimbursement for residents in accordance with Federal requirements. Specifically, we found that 65 hospitals claimed residents for the same period as more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) on cost reports covering fiscal years (FYs) 2012 and 2013. As a result, 36 of the 65 hospitals received excess Medicare GME reimbursement totaling $435,000.

Some hospitals in Medicare Jurisdiction F did not always claim Medicare graduate medical education (GME) reimbursement for residents in accordance with Federal requirements. Specifically, we found that 41 hospitals claimed residents for the same period as more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) on cost reports covering fiscal years (FYs) 2012 and 2013. As a result, 21 of the 41 hospitals received excess Medicare GME reimbursement totaling $365,000.

This Newsletter provides a bimonthly summary of selected investigative accomplishments.

The State agency ensured that allegations and referrals of abuse and neglect for children in foster care covered by Title IV-E of the Act were recorded, investigated, and resolved in accordance with State requirements as required by Federal law.

Of the $5.7 million in Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) grant funds that the Administration for Children and Families awarded to the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT) for Federal fiscal years 2010 through 2014, TAT did not administer LIHEAP grant funds totaling $1.2 million in compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. TAT is a federally recognized Native American tribe located in North Dakota. The errors we identified occurred because TAT did not have sufficient internal controls in place to prevent the errors and because TAT staff circumvented existing internal controls. These funds could have been used to provide additional benefits to eligible LIHEAP beneficiaries.

Private health insurers, Medicare Advantage plans, and Medicare Part D sponsors are required to spend a fixed percentage of premium dollars to provide medical services and health quality improvement activities. This percentage is known as a medical loss ratio (MLR).

Opioid abuse and overdose deaths are at epidemic levels in the United States. This data brief is part of a larger strategy by the OIG to fight the opioid crisis and address one of its top priority outcomes-to protect beneficiaries from prescription drug abuse. It provides baseline data on the extent to which beneficiaries receive extreme amounts of opioids and appear to be "doctor shopping." It also identifies prescribers who have questionable opioid prescribing patterns.

We recently learned that employees in the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Office of Security Capabilities (OSC) were given internal guidance that, if followed, would improperly restrict and delay the DHS Office of Inspector General's (OIG) access to documents.

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

Preventive maintenance (PM) includes tasks carried out on a predetermined interval to reduce the likelihood of a failure. Due to the importance of PM on the reliable operation of assets and as a result of findings identified related to nuclear and coal PM in previous evaluations, we initiated an evaluation of the TVA's transmission PM. The objective of our evaluation was to determine if transmission PM was performed in accordance with established schedules and, if not, what effects the deviations had. We could not determine if transmission PM had been performed in accordance with established schedules because (1) work completion dates in Maximo, TVA's work management system, did not consistently match the date the PM was completed, and (2) TVA did not require supporting documentation evidencing work completion dates to be maintained. Additionally, we reviewed documentation related to equipment failures and did not identify any failures or Load Not Served, a measure of the magnitude and duration of transmission system outages, attributed to Transmission and Power Supply PM practices.

We reported that the Indiana Department of Education did not provide adequate oversight to ensure that its system met minimum security requirements that included a creating System Security Plan, completing a compliance audit and risk assessment, and classifying its security level. We also reported that the Indiana Department of Education lacked assurance that it could prevent and detect unauthorized system access and disclosure of information.

Seek link below for the full report, report summary, multimedia or any agency follow-up.

Seek link below for the full report, report summary, multimedia or any agency follow-up.

First Coast Service Options, Inc., did not claim $96,000 of allowable fiscal intermediary and carrier contract Medicare postretirement benefit costs on its Final Administrative Cost Proposals for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

First Coast Service Options, Inc., understated the Medicare segment postretirement benefit costs by $50,000 and overstated the Other segment postretirement benefit costs used to calculate its indirect cost rates by $3.4 million for calendar years 2008 through 2012.

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

First Coast Service Options, Inc., overstated the Medicare segment postretirement benefit assets as of January 1, 2013, by $5.0 million.

Palmetto Government Benefits Administrator, LLC, understated the Medicare segment pension costs used to calculate its indirect cost rates by $143,000 for calendar years 2006 through 2012.

Two derailments this spring at New York Penn Station (Penn Station) led to significant delays for Amtrak (the company) passengers and rail commuters across the New York City region, raising questions about the aging infrastructure at the nation's busiest train
station. In response, the company launched the New York Penn Station Infrastructure Renewal Program (Renewal Program), which company documents describe as compressing several years of planned construction work into about a one-year period. The Renewal Program began in May 2017 and is projected to finish in June 2018. This work period combines several months of planned weekend track outages-including two months of intensive continuous track outages-to renew important assets in various locations throughout the station. The continuous outage work is scheduled to take place from July 7 through September 4 this year. 1 Much of the initial Renewal Program work focuses on "A" Interlocking-a critical set of tracks and switches that serves as a sorting mechanism on the west side of the station to route trains entering from the Hudson River tunnels.

Palmetto Government Benefits Administrator, LLC, understated its Medicare segment's pension assets as of January 1, 2013, by $1.0 million.

Palmetto Government Benefits Administrator, LLC, did not claim allowable Medicare pension costs of $686,000 on its Final Administrative Cost Proposals for fiscal years 2005 through 2011.

Seek link below for the full report, report summary, multimedia or any agency follow-up.

Based on a request from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), we evaluated compliance with health and safety requirements at the Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) laboratory, located at the Federal Center in Lakewood, CO, from fiscal years 2013 to 2016. Nonpower reactors such as the GSTR are designed for research experiments on geologic, plant, and animal specimens. We found that USGS did not manage the GSTR laboratory in accordance with established health and safety regulations. Specifically, we found— incomplete job hazard analyses;insufficient management of accident and incident reporting;use of an outdated chemical inventory;unremedied program evaluation findings; andinconsistent self-audit safety questions. These issues leave USGS in violation of policy and may lead to workplace injuries, workers’ compensation claims, and lost productivity. We made seven recommendations to address the noncompliance with USGS and DOI health and safety regulations.

Quarterly Summary Memorandum for the Lead Inspector General, Department of Defense

The Chemical Safety Board's purchase card program, for which it spent $238,390 in FY 2016, is at low risk for unauthorized purchases.