Federal Reports

This report presents the results of the audit of Commodity Credit Corporation’s (CCC) financial statements for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. The report contains an unmodified opinion on the financial statements, as well as an assessment of CCC’s internal controls over financial reporting and compliance with laws and regulations.KPMG LLP, an independent certified public accounting firm, conducted the audit. In connection with the contract, we reviewed KPMG LLP’s report and related documentation and inquired of its representatives.

At the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Supply Chain, we examined the cost proposal submitted by a company for civil projects and coal combustion residual program management work at TVA's steam electric power plants. Our examination objective was to determine if the company's cost proposal was fairly stated for a planned <br> $25 million contract.In our opinion, the company's cost proposal was overstated. Specifically, we found the company's proposed costs for a Cumberland Fossil Plant (CUF) project and proposed unit rates for a Bull Run Fossil Plant (BRF) project included overstated (1) material costs, (2) general and administrative (G&A) rates, (3) labor costs, (4) equipment costs, and (5) temporary living allowance (TLA) costs. In addition, the company included a fee rate for the CUF project that exceeded the maximum allowable fee rate in TVA's request for proposal. We also found the company's proposed rate attachments included (1) incorrect craft labor rates, (2) incorrect application of the markup rates, and (3) noncraft wage ranges that did not reflect the company's current wage ranges. In addition, the company's proposal did not include (1) separate labor rate attachments for nonmanual employees who receive union benefits and (2) three noncraft labor categories that were included in the CUF and BRF proposals.We estimated TVA could avoid about $1.66 million on the planned $25 million contract by (1) negotiating appropriate reductions to material costs, G&A rates, labor costs, equipment costs, and TLA costs; (2) limiting the company's fee rate on the CUF project to the RFP's maximum allowable rate; and (3) negotiating appropriate reductions to unit rates in the BRF proposal. In addition, we suggest TVA negotiate revisions to the company's contract rate attachments to correct errors and more accurately reflect the company's actual wage ranges and costs.(Summary Only)

The objectives of this independent evaluation of the FMC's information security program were to evaluate its security posture by assessing compliance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). More specifically, the purpose of the evaluation was to identify areas for improvement in the FMC’s information security policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines.

The VA OIG did not find that the Northern California Health Care System Director violated VA policy regarding the use of government vehicles. The Director was unaware employees drove these vehicles between work and home. The OIG found that Dr. Dawn Erckenbrack (GS-15), the Associate Director of the Sacramento VA Medical Center, improperly authorized a local policy permitting her to delegate authority for the approval of no-cost travel orders to the Chief of Logistics Management Service (CLMS). The CLMS used this authority to allow employees to take government vehicles home overnight and on weekends under the provisions applicable to TDY travel with the use of no-cost travel orders. The Director said that upon learning of this policy, he immediately rescinded it. The OIG did not substantiate another allegation, negating the need for further discussion in the report.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced type of radiation procedure used to treat difficult-to-reach tumors. Novitas Solutions, Inc. (the Medicare Administrative Contractor responsible for processing Medicare payments for outpatient services in Jurisdictions H and L), incorrectly paid hospitals for IMRT services provided to nearly all of the beneficiaries associated with our review.

Since 2003, the United States Government Accountability Office has identified Medicaid as a high-risk program. Between Federal fiscal years (FYs) 2011 and 2017, Medicaid expenditures rose 42 percent from $430 billion to $610 billion. By FY 2025, Medicaid is projected to have annual expenditures of $958 billion. The Social Security Act requires States to provide at least 40 percent of the non-Federal share of Medicaid expenditures, while up to 60 percent may be derived by local sources, including health-care-related taxes, as long as the taxpayer is not held harmless for the tax payment. However, this cost sharing requirement only applies to the aggregate of annual Medicaid program expenditures, not on a service-specific basis.