Federal Reports

Audit Report

Audit Report

This report fulfills for 2017 the annual reporting mandate from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2017. The ACA requires OIG to conduct a study of the extent to which formularies used by Medicare Part D plans include drugs commonly used by full benefit dual eligible individuals (i.e., individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and full Medicaid benefits). These individuals generally get drug coverage through Medicare Part D. Pursuant to the ACA, OIG must annually issue a report with recommendations as appropriate. This is the seventh report the OIG has produced to meet this mandate.

Peer Review of FLRA OIG 2017

Preventive maintenance (PM) consists of servicing and data collection activities carried out at predetermined intervals and is intended to reduce the likelihood of equipment failures. Due to the importance of PM to the reliable operation of TVA's generating assets and as a result of findings identified related to nuclear and coal PM in previous evaluations, we initiated an evaluation of TVA's gas plant PM to determine if PM had been performed in accordance with established schedules and, if not, what effect the deviations had. We determined PM regulated by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) was performed in accordance with TVA's established schedules. However, we were unable to determine if non-NERC PM had been performed in accordance with established schedules due to unreliable dates and a lack of documentation in Maximo - the work management system used by TVA to manage PM. We also determined that inadequate PM contributed to 11 equipment failures; 9 of these failures resulted in forced outages. Through interviews with plant personnel, we identified potential areas for improvement including: (1) predictive maintenance, (2) implementation support for new PM programs, (3) Maximo training and access, and (4) transition of coordinator responsibilities.

The Office of the Inspector General conducted a review of Compensation and Benefits (C&B) to identify strengths and risks that could impact C&B's organizational effectiveness. Our evaluation identified strengths within C&B related to (1) organizational alignment, (2) teamwork, (3) direct management support, (4) knowledge and experience, and (5) customer service. However, we also identified an employee engagement risk related to a relationship issue with one manager.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this self-initiated audit to assess NCUA’s procurement program. The objectives of our audit were to determine whether: 1) management’s control framework that supports procurement activities is appropriate, complete, and effective; and 2) NCUA’s procurement activities comply with applicable policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.

Medicare payments to New England providers were not always correct for nonphysician outpatient services provided within 3 days prior to the date of admission, on the date of admission, or during Inpatient Prospective Payment System stays. For 75 of the 129 services we sampled, Medicare paid providers twice, resulting in total overpayments of $288,000. Based on our sample results, we estimated that the Medicare contractor made approximately $1.3 million in overpayments to hospital outpatient providers during calendar years 2013 and 2014.

OIG reports issued in FY 2016 demonstrated high levels of compliance with OIG quality assurance procedures and received average compliance scores of 93 percent. Most of the issues identified during the FY 2015 review have improved. The FY 2016 review noted a few additional areas for improvement.

In 2016, the Federal Government and States spent $574 billion on Medicaid, serving more than 74 million enrolled individuals. Complete, accurate, and timely Medicaid data are vital for the effective administration and oversight of the Medicaid program by States and the Federal Government. Historically, problems with Medicaid data have hindered program integrity, research, budgeting, and policy. Consequently, OIG has designated the improvement of Medicaid data as a top management challenge facing the Department of Health and Human Services. The Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) is a new data system intended to improve the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of Medicaid data.

Created in 1999, the Strategic National Stockpile (Stockpile) is a repository of vaccines, antibiotics, antidotes, antitoxins, medications, and supplies, in addition to certain controlled substances, meant to supplement and resupply State and local public health agencies in the event of a national emergency.

A continuing problem was identified with respect to receipt of Basic Agency Monitoring (BAMR) reports for ARC grants in Pennsylvania for which the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is the Federal Basic Agency

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.

In March 2017, we initiated an investigation into allegations that an Amtrak employee in Chicago, Illinois, violated company policy by commuting to work in a company-owned car and allowing his spouse to commute with him.

The Office of the Inspector General previously conducted an evaluation of Coal and Gas Services (Evaluation Report 2016-15365 issued August 29, 2016) to identify strengths and risks that could impact Coal and Gas Services' organizational effectiveness. Our final report identified several strengths and risks, along with recommendations for addressing those risks. The objective of this follow-up evaluation was to assess management's actions in response to risks and recommendations included in our initial organizational effectiveness evaluation. In summary, we determined actions taken by Coal and Gas Services appear to address the risks identified during our initial organizational effectiveness evaluation. In addition, employees felt management's actions taken to date have resulted in positive changes.

Congress authorized the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to receive $48 billion in funding for the 5-year period beginning October 1, 2008, to assist foreign countries in combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Congress authorized additional funds to be appropriated through 2018.

With respect to Medicaid patient days, Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS) did not properly settle for Federal fiscal years (FYs) 2010 through 2012 Medicare cost reports submitted by inpatient hospitals in Missouri (Missouri providers) for Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments in accordance with Federal requirements. The 20 settled Medicare cost reports that Missouri providers submitted for FYs 2010 through 2012 reflected 612,517 Medicaid patient days. The 10 selected providers (with those 20 associated cost reports) improperly claimed a total of 7,132 Medicaid patient days on their cost reports, resulting in DSH overpayments totaling $3.0 million. These improper claims included both unallowable and unsupported Medicaid patient days and involved patients in the excluded categories of family planning and family planning-related services, the Children's Health Insurance Program, temporary prenatal care services, State-only programs, patients who did not meet the designated spenddown requirements to qualify for spenddown programs, and dual eligibility.

NARA OIG contracted with the independent certified public accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen LLP to review NARA’s readiness to implement the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014

The audit objective was to evaluate NARA’s controls in place to achieve its Strategic Goal of “Make Access Happen” by providing online access to its digitized holdings through the National Archives Catalog