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Report File
Date Issued
Submitting OIG
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Other Participating OIGs
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Agencies Reviewed/Investigated
Department of Veterans Affairs
Report Number
22-02398-131
Report Description

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a focused national review to assess concerns with Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA’s) process to identify providers who have been removed from VA employment due to violations of policy “relating to the delivery of safe and appropriate care” and exclude those providers from the VA Community Care Program (VCCP), as required by the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 (MISSION Act).The OIG found that VHA’s process failed to identify all healthcare providers removed from VA employment. The OIG determined that VHA’s process also failed to accurately identify personnel actions that indicate healthcare providers were removed for violating policies relating to the delivery of safe and appropriate care. Furthermore, VHA did not consider whether a provider was removed for reasons related to delivery of safe and appropriate care. These process failures resulted in both inclusion of ineligible providers and exclusion of eligible providers from the VCCP.Deficiencies in VHA’s process to identify providers who should be excluded precluded a complete evaluation of the exclusion process. As a result, this inspection focused on the initial steps to identify ineligible providers for exclusion. The OIG remains concerned about VHA’s inability to exclude and prevent ineligible healthcare providers from delivering care to veterans through the VCCP. The OIG issued this brief report to provide timely oversight and share concerns to facilitate VA action.The OIG made two recommendations to the Under Secretary for Health related to the criteria and processes used to identify and exclude ineligible healthcare providers from the VCCP, and to review previous personnel actions to determine whether the reason(s) for those removals were for violation of policy related to the delivery of safe and appropriate care.

Report Type
Inspection / Evaluation
Agency Wide
Yes
Number of Recommendations
2
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0

Open Recommendations

This report has 2 open recommendations.
Recommendation Number Significant Recommendation Recommended Questioned Costs Recommended Funds for Better Use Additional Details
01 No $0 $0

The Under Secretary for Health reviews the criteria and processes used to identify and exclude healthcare providers removed from VA employment for violation of policy related to safe and appropriate care of veterans, and takes action as warranted.

02 No $0 $0

The Under Secretary for Health reviews previous removals of healthcare providers from VA employment as required by VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 § 108 to determine whether the reason(s) for those removals were for violation of policy related to the safe and appropriate care of veterans, and takes action as warranted.

Department of Veterans Affairs OIG

United States