Federal Reports

Our objective was to determine whether the U.S. Postal Service is effectively managing capital equipment at the Information Technology Center (ITC) in Eagan, MN.In January 2021, the Eagan ITC had over 4,300 capital equipment items — such as computer servers — for operations, system enhancements, equipment replacement, or research and development. During calendar years 2019 and 2020, 628 items with an estimated value of $77 million were entered as capital equipment records.

We investigated a complaint of whistleblower reprisal by a former employee of a non-profit organization affiliated with the BIA.

In this audit, we examined NASA’s development of next-generation spacesuits for ISS and Artemis missions, specifically the extent to which the Agency is addressing cost, schedule, and performance challenges.

Since 1975, the Postal Service has leveraged its expansive retail network to accept passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State (State Department). The State Department is primarily responsible for nationwide passport services. This includes designating entities to accept passport applications, providing passport information to the public, issuing U.S. passports, and ensuring program integrity. The Postal Service’s role is to accept passport applications at designated facilities, ensure all application documents are correct, and submit documents to the State Department. The Postal Service and State Department have an interagency agreement that governs passport acceptance. Our objective was to assess the Postal Service’s passport application acceptance operations and identify opportunities for improvement.

The NASA Office of Inspector General found the Agency appropriately managed those funds to meet congressional mandates as well as federal and Agency guidance.

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the Sheridan VA Medical Center and multiple outpatient clinics in Wyoming. The inspection covers key clinical and administrative processes associated with promoting quality care. For this inspection, the areas of focus were Leadership and Organizational Risks; COVID-19 Pandemic Readiness and Response; Quality, Safety, and Value; Registered Nurse Credentialing; Mental Health: Emergency Department and Urgent Care Center Suicide Risk Screening and Evaluation; Care Coordination: Inter-facility Transfers; and High-Risk Processes: Management of Disruptive and Violent Behavior.At the time of the OIG review, the leadership team had worked together for over two years. The Director, who was permanently assigned in August 2017, was the most tenured leader. Selected employee survey responses revealed satisfaction with leadership and a workplace where staff felt respected and discrimination was not tolerated. Patient experience survey results were generally higher than VHA averages for male inpatient care, but opportunities for improvement were identified for both genders in outpatient settings. Review of the facility’s accreditation findings, sentinel events, and disclosures did not identify any substantial organizational risks. The executive leaders were generally knowledgeable about selected data used in Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning models and factors contributing to poorly performing quality and efficiency measures.The OIG issued three recommendations for improvement in three areas:(1) Quality, Safety, and Value• Peer review committee recommendation of improvement actions(2) Registered Nurse Credentialing• Primary source verification of registered nurses’ licenses prior to appointment(3) High-Risk Processes• Disruptive behavior committee attendance

The EPA could achieve cost savings and potentially put Agency funds to better use by improving compliance with BPA requirements.

DOL's reported Unemployment Insurance improper payment rate of 9.17 percent is compliant with Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, it is not representative of total unemployment expenses for program year 2020. This occurred for the following reasons: (1) DOL excluded CARES Act of 2020 because these unemployment payments were not in existence for more than 12 months, and (2) DOL received direction from Office of Management and Budget to utilize the results from the first three quarters of the program year. This allowed state workforce agencies to suspend work on improper payment sampling to reduce the burden on program resources. The DOL-OIG's initial pandemic audit and investigation work indicate UI program improper payments, including fraudulent payments, is likely higher than 10 percent.

Effective January 1, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established a policy for Medicare to pay under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for chronic care management (CCM) services rendered to beneficiaries whose medical conditions meet certain criteria. Effective January 1, 2017, CMS unbundled complex CCM from noncomplex CCM and began paying separately for complex CCM. Although scope of service and billing requirements are the same for noncomplex CCM as for complex CCM, the two types of services differ as to clinical staff time, medical decisionmaking, and care planning. CCM services are a relatively new category of Medicare-covered services and are at higher risk for overpayments. This audit expands on the findings of a previous OIG audit.