Federal Reports

A new review conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) on behalf of SIGTARP found significant risks at the federal, state, and contractor level in the Hardest Hit Fund’s (HHF) $755 million Blight Elimination Program. These findings come nearly two years after SIGTARP warned the U.S. Department of Treasury that a similar review of demolitions in Flint, Michigan found program-wide risks of hazardous materials, illegal dumping, and contaminated soil.

Congress created the 340B Drug Pricing Program to assist providers serving vulnerable patient populations by allowing them to purchase outpatient drugs at discounted prices. For drugs dispensed to Medicare Part D beneficiaries for payment under the Part D program, manufacturers may pay rebates based on rebate agreement terms negotiated between the manufacturers and the Part D prescription drug plan sponsors or their pharmacy benefit managers. Rebate agreement terms may prevent manufacturers from paying rebates for Part D prescriptions filled at 340B contract pharmacies.

The Medicaid "health home" option allows States to create programs that provide care coordination and care management for beneficiaries with chronic health conditions. Health homes are not physical spaces. Rather, they are a health care model in which providers work together to coordinate and manage beneficiaries' care at a reasonable cost.

An Amtrak Program Manager based in Washington D.C. was terminated July 1, 2019, for allowing a family member to use her company travel pass and Amtrak identification card to frequently travel on Amtrak trains between May 2018 and June 2019. The company’s travel pass policy allows Amtrak employees to ride Amtrak regional and Acela trains for free or at a discounted rate. While this privilege is also extended to the Amtrak employee’s spouse or dependents, Amtrak employees are not permitted to provide their employee travel pass for use by any other person. Judicial proceedings are pending.