Open Recommendations

Ensure the risk assessment is reviewed and approved by an Authorizing Official prior to the commencement of any assessment activity.

The under secretary for health require the chief operating officer to direct the Veterans Integrated Service Network directors to fully integrate the core services in accordance with policy to improve operational efficiencies and access for veterans.

The under secretary for health establish a process requiring medical facility directors to coordinate with the Office of Integrated Veteran Care and the clinical contact centers before setting up or maintaining a local phone queue for services the clinical contact center provides.

The under secretary for health require the Office of Integrated Veteran Care to direct the clinical contact center leaders to determine if schedulers are arbitrarily ending calls in the telephone system to remain in after-call work status longer than needed to reduce the number of calls routed to them.

The under secretary for health direct clinical contact center leaders to routinely evaluate and, if needed, address schedulers handle time and availability time to improve performance and reduce inefficiencies.

The under secretary for health direct the Office of Integrated Veteran Care to include schedulers handle time and availability time as part of VA Health Connects annual performance plans to make sure clinical contact centers monitor and address these areas.

The under secretary for health make sure the Office of Integrated Veteran Care and chief operating officer evaluate VA Health Connect staffing for scheduling and, if necessary, reallocate staff so all clinical contact centers provide core services and meet required performance standards for scheduling.

The under secretary for health direct the Office of Integrated Veteran Care to formalize and clarify internal waiver guidance and include examples of the specific evidence that would be required for a clinical contact center not to provide 24-hour services"such as exploring the use of other strategies like routing calls to another service or partnering with other centers to provide coverage.

The under secretary for health ensure the assistant under secretary for health for the Office of Integrated Veteran Care and chief operating officer periodically review the clinical contact center waiver submissions and the planned actions to comply with VA Health Connect requirements.

The Chief Taxpayer Services should conduct annual refresher training for all representatives providing customer service through IRS telephone lines and emphasize the importance of always providing professional and courteous customer service.

We recommend the Vice President, Supply Chain, establish a prescribed method for making a forecasted usage determination.

We recommend the Vice President, Supply Chain, establish a process for reorder points to be reviewed and adjusted as necessary, before surplus inventory is transferred.

We recommend the Vice President, Supply Chain, develop and review a report identifying surplus items that were repurchased within a specified period of time to determine if the purchases were appropriate and take actions to address any issues identified.

We recommend the Vice President, Supply Chain, take steps to improve surplus inventory documentation completion.

Take appropriate action to pay the underpayments to the 42 beneficiaries identified in our audit.

Take appropriate action to pay the underpayments for the remaining population of beneficiaries identified by our audit.

Revise its semi-annual alerts to include beneficiaries whose benefits SSA withheld due to the representative payees’ deaths.

To prevent future errors, establish controls to ensure employees properly pay benefits that the Agency withheld pending the selection of representative payees.

We recommend that RUS ensure that its current practices regarding Level 2 reviews of Summary Reports of eligible applications are consistent with its written policies, and vice versa.

USDA OIG has determined that this recommendation contains sensitive information and will not be publicly released due to privacy concerns.

This recommendation contains sensitive information that should not be made public. Therefore, we are not including the wording for this recommendation.

This recommendation contains sensitive information that should not be made public. Therefore, we are not including the wording for this recommendation.

This recommendation contains sensitive information that should not be made public. Therefore, we are not including the wording for this recommendation.

This recommendation contains sensitive information that should not be made public. Therefore, we are not including the wording for this recommendation.

This recommendation contains sensitive information that should not be made public. Therefore, we are not including the wording for this recommendation.