Federal Reports

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Clinical diagnostic laboratory (lab) tests provide information integral to preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease in millions of Medicare beneficiaries every year. The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) requires reform of Medicare's payment system for lab tests-the first such reform in 3 decades. Beginning in 2018, Medicare payment rates-which are currently based on inflation-adjusted lab charges-will be replaced with new rates based on current charges in the private health care market. In response to a mandate contained in PAMA, OIG is monitoring Medicare payments for lab tests and CMS's implementation of the new payment system.

This is our final report on the Department of Commerce’s top management and performance challenges for fiscal year (FY) 2017. We have aligned our report with the Department’s FYs 2014–2018 Strategic Plan—and, within each of the plan’s strategic goals, we discuss the challenges we have identified:Challenge 1. TRADE AND INVESTMENTChallenge 2. INNOVATIONChallenge 3. ENVIRONMENTChallenge 4. DATAChallenge 5. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

The first evaluation was completed by September 30, 2013; a second, to be completed by September 30, 2016, was to review progress made after the first. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Department took appropriate corrective actions on recommendations made in OIG’s 2013 report.

On July 15, 2011, the Office of Inspector General issued a Management Advisory on EEOC’sOpen Government Activities, OIG-2011-01-AEP. In that Management Advisory, we reportedthat the Agency had developed a draft Open Government Plan and created an Open Governmentinitiative web site. We also reported that EEOC planned to: develop online charge-status of private sector charges of discrimination, increase the amount of information available in machine readable format; considermethods to increase dialogue with the public, and explore ways to make information contained in its Office of Equal Opportunity reportsand its policies available to other federal agencies.

We alerted CMS to the preliminary results of our ongoing review of the costs Medicare incurred because of recalled or defective medical devices. Our ongoing review shows that the lack of medical device-specific information in the claims data impedes the ability of CMS to readily identify and effectively track Medicare's total costs related to the replacement of recalled or defective devices.

The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) is administered by CDC through its National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Under the WTCHP, pharmacy benefits and medical services are provided to eligible responders and survivors with certified health conditions related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (the State agency) did not always comply with Federal requirements when using a random moment time study (RMTS) to claim direct medical service costs related to Medicaid school-based health services (SBHS). Specifically, the RMTS methodology did not meet acceptable standards because the sample universe from which the State agency selected the sample items was incomplete. The sample universe did not contain all the job titles of the employees whose salaries and wages were allocated on the basis of the sample results. As a result, the State agency received unallowable Federal reimbursement totaling $954,000 for services provided during State fiscal year 2011.

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Reports deals with Expired end dates and the risk that direct project expenditures after the identified end date are ineligible.

Clinical diagnostic laboratory (lab) tests provide information integral to preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease in millions of Medicare beneficiaries every year. The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) requires reform of Medicare's payment system for lab tests-the first such reform in 3 decades. Beginning in 2018, Medicare payment rates-which are currently based on inflation-adjusted lab charges-will be replaced with new rates based on current charges in the private health care market. In response to a mandate contained in PAMA, OIG is monitoring Medicare payments for lab tests and CMS's implementation of the new payment system.

Loan Guarantee Program

This report is dealing with older open grants administered by ARC and participating States.

We audited the State of New Jersey’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery-funded Superstorm Sandy Housing Incentive Program contract. We conducted the audit because the contract involved a significant amount of funds ($67.7 million), was critical to the implementation of three of the State’s disaster programs, and was terminated less than 1 year into the 3-year contract term. Our objective was to determine whether the State disbursed disaster funds to its contractor in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal, and other applicable requirements for costs that were eligible, supported, reasonable, and necessary.The State did not disburse disaster funds to its contractor in accordance with HUD, Federal, and other applicable requirements. Specifically, it did not ensure that (1) disbursements met a national objective, (2) expenses were incurred after the contract was executed, (3) other direct costs were fully supported and the prices paid were fair and reasonable, (4) labor costs were fully supported, (5) travel costs were fully supported, and (6) disbursements were for costs that were reasonable and necessary. Further, the State did not show that it properly managed equipment purchased with disaster funds. These conditions occurred because the State did not have adequate controls in place to administer its contract and monitor contract performance and was not fully aware of Federal procurement and cost principle requirements. As a result, HUD did not have assurance that the $43.1 million disbursed under the contract was for costs that were eligible, supported, reasonable, and necessary.We recommend that HUD require the State to provide documentation to show that the $43.1 million disbursed under the contract was for costs that met a national objective and were supported, reasonable, and necessary or direct the State to repay HUD from non-Federal funds. Further, HUD should require the State to repay HUD from non-Federal funds for the $128,990 in charges incurred before the contract effective date. HUD should also require the State to implement controls to ensure that it adequately administers current and future contracts related to disaster funds, adequately monitors contract performance, and takes appropriate action when contractors fail to meet performance goals stated in the contract.

This report contains Sensitive Information and will not be posted. The public versions was issued 11/30/2016.

The OIG found the implementation of wireless local area network physical and logical access controls generally followed recommended best practices. However, we found TVA could strengthen wireless security and improve unauthorized wireless access point detection.(Summary Only)

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During this semiannual period, we issued several reports. We reported that the Prints and Photographs (P&P) Division effectively tracks its materials but needs to assess the risks associated with its growing quantity of material not fully processed. OIG determined that at the time of our fieldwork the P&P Division needed approximately 40-60 years to eliminate its backlog of materials that are not fully processed, which has grown over time. Such materials pose a greater risk of theft, damage, and loss because unprocessed materials lack adequate bibliographic, inventory, and security controls. OIG also issued a report on an assessment of the Library’s Tier 1 Systems, which are information technology systems needing recovery within a 24-hour period. The review included 27 recommendations that were all agreed upon by Library management. The report was not issued publicly because of its sensitive content. Other reports made recommendations to improve operations in the Library’s field offices in Cairo, Egypt and New Delhi, India.

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OIG administers the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU or Unit) grant awards, annually recertifies the Units, and oversees the Units' performance in accordance with the requirements of the grant. As part of this oversight, OIG conducts periodic onsite reviews of all Units and prepares public reports based on these reviews. These reviews assess Units' adherence to the 12 MFCU performance standards and Units' compliance with applicable Federal statutes and regulations.

OIG contracted with BCA Watson Rice LLP (BCA) to assist in reporting on sustainability features of Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (Infrastructure) grants awarded, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 by the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The objective of the review was to acquire an understanding of various indicators associated with the sustainability of BTOP Infrastructure grantees.

An assessment of the NLRB's OCFO's readiness to meet the DATA Act's reporting requirements.

we determined that that charter school relationships with charter management organizations posed a significant risk to Department program objectives. Specifically, we found that 22 of the 33 charter schools in our review had 36 examples of internal control weaknesses related to the charter schools’ relationships with their charter management organizations. These included instances of financial risk, lack of accountabilityover Federal funds, and performance risk. We also found that that the Department did not have effective internal controls to evaluate and mitigate the risk that charter school relationships with charter management organizations posed to Department program objectives.