Open Recommendations

We recommend that the Office of Programs update the corrective action plan that was published in the Railroad Retirement Board’s fiscal year 2018 Performance and Accountability Report to reduce Railroad Medicare improper payments and publish it in the Railroad Retirement Board’s fiscal year 2020 Performance and Accountability Report.

We recommend that the Office of Programs publish Railroad Medicare overpayment recapture data in the Railroad Retirement Board’s fiscal year 2020 Performance and Accountability Report.

We recommend that the Office of Programs resume payment integrity reporting in the Railroad Retirement Board’s performance and accountability report, as required by applicable improper payment laws, until official approval from Office of Management and Budget is obtained and updated governing documents between the Railroad Retirement Board and the Department of Health and Human Services have been signed to reflect the extended enterprise relationship between the two agencies.

We recommend that HHS focus on the root causes of the improper payment percentage and evaluate critical and feasible action steps to assist states with their compliance efforts for these new requirements.

We recommend that HHS continue to work with OMB and other stakeholders to develop and implement an approach to reporting on TANF improper payments in FY 2020.

We recommend that HHS focus on the root causes of the improper payment percentage and evaluate critical and feasible action steps to assist states with their compliance efforts for these new requirements.

We recommend that HHS continue to explore alternative vehicles to conduct recovery audits that will fit into the larger Medicare Part C

We recommend that HHS develop and publish corrective action plans after implementing an approach.  HHS continue to focus on developing and implementing an approach to reporting on TANF improper payments, as this process will aid in identifying root causes of TANF improper payments.

We recommend the Transportation Security Administration Executive Assistant Administrator, Security Operations, develop a detailed Passenger Screening Canine plan and implement policies to: a. identify and document the canine program's current operational capability needs and number of Passenger Screening Canine teams necessary for effective checkpoint screening; b. formalize a documented methodology to justify Passenger Screening Canine team allocation decisions; c. create a formal process to analyze and document capabilities of Passenger Screening Canine teams and justify whether the teams or other options provide the best, cost-effective security at checkpoints; and d. hold Federal Security Directors accountable for using the teams as…

Determine the allowability of the questioned transactions and recover $2,227,535, if applicable.

We recommended that CMS direct the MACs to based upon the results of this audit, notify the appropriate providers so that the providers can exercise reasonable diligence to identify, report, and return any overpayments in accordance with the 60-day rule and identify any of those returned overpayments as having been made in accordance with this recommendation

We recommended that CMS direct the MACs to educate outpatient providers on how to correctly bill nonphysician outpatient services provided within 3 days before the date of admission, on the date of admission, or during IPPS stays.

We recommended that CMS ensure that all necessary information is included in the CWF edits to accurately identify and prevent incorrect payments for nonphysician outpatient services provided within 3 days before the date of admission, on the date of admission, or during IPPS stay.

We recommended that CMS direct the Medicare contractors to recover the portion of $11.7 million in identified overpayments (for claims within the 4-year reopening period) resulting from the 40,984 incorrectly billed services and instruct the outpatient providers to refund the portion of the $2,785,607 in deductible and coinsurance amounts (for claims within the 4-year reopening period) that may have been incorrectly collected from beneficiaries or from someone on their behalf.

Rec. 1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness collaboratively establish or revise appropriate DoD policy(s) to address health and safety hazards-including lead?based paint, asbestos?containing material, radon, fire and electrical safety, drinking water quality, window fall prevention, mold, carbon monoxide, and pest management-in military family housing to manage health, safety, and environmental risks to acceptable levels for military family housing residents.

Rec. 1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness collaboratively establish or revise appropriate DoD policy(s) to address health and safety hazards-including lead?based paint, asbestos?containing material, radon, fire and electrical safety, drinking water quality, window fall prevention, mold, carbon monoxide, and pest management-in military family housing to manage health, safety, and environmental risks to acceptable levels for military family housing residents.

Rec. 2.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment update Service policies to align with revisions to DoD policy for health and safety hazard management

Rec. 2.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment develop oversight policies and procedures to assess the management of health and safety hazards in Government?Owned/Government?Controlled military family housing.

Rec. 2.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment direct installation officials to correct the specific lead-based paint, asbestos-containing material, radon, and fire safety health and safety hazard management deficiencies discussed in this report.

Rec. 3.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment (on behalf of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps) update Service policies to align with revisions to DoD policy for health and safety hazard management.

Rec. 3.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment (on behalf of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps) develop oversight policies and procedures to assess the management of health and safety hazards in Government?Owned/Government?Controlled military family housing.

Rec. 3.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment (on behalf of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps) direct installation officials to correct the specific lead-based paint, asbestos-containing material, and radon health and safety hazard management deficiencies discussed in this report.

Rec. 4.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy update Service policies to align with revisions to DoD policy for health and safety hazard management.

ASPR should clarify to HPP awardees the flexibility available in meeting Cooperative Agreement requirements.