Wachler & Associates Health Law BlogOIG Releases Semiannual Report to Congress
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released the Semiannual Report to Congress for the 6-month period ending from October 1, 2022, to March 21, 2023. The report can provide insight regarding OIG’s current focus and enforcement priorities. Currently, OIG appears to be focused on skilled nursing facilities, COVID-19 related enforcement, and cybersecurity. In the OIG’s report, the OIG presented OIG expected recoveries, criminal and civil actions, and other statistics, including accomplishments for the fiscal year 2023 to date. Specifically, in its strategic plan, OIG focused on the following: 1) combatting alleged fraud, waste, and abuse and holding alleged wrongdoers accountable; 2) promoting quality, safety, and value in HHS programs and for HHS beneficiaries; and 3) advancing excellence and innovation.
During this reporting period, the OIG issued 62 audit reports and 19 evaluation reports, with expected recoveries by audit work at $200.1 million and $277.2 million in questioned costs based on OIG’s findings of alleged violations, costs not supported by proper documentation, or unreasonable and unnecessary expenditures of funds. OIG also made 213 new audits and evaluation recommendations. Additionally, the OIG’s investigative work led to $892.3 million in expected investigative recoveries, 345 criminal actions, civil actions against 324 individuals and entities, and exclusions of 1,365 individuals and entities from Federal health care programs.
A top priority for the OIG was to improve nursing home care to better protect nursing home residents by understanding what drives nursing home performance, prioritizing quality of care and quality of life for residents, and establishing that the entities responsible for oversight both detect and remedy any problems quickly. Another goal of the OIG is to protect enrollees from prescription drug abuse and safeguard health care services for individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders.
The report emphasized the importance of promoting quality of care, safety, and access for individuals receiving services, with findings to help home health agencies prepare for and response to future emergencies or infectious disease outbreaks. Significant OIG oversight work regarding the COVID-19 pandemic was completed with goals to 1) protect people; 2) protect funds; 3) protect infrastructure; and 4) promote current and future effectiveness of HHS programs.
Generally, this report describes the many findings and recommendations from recently completed reviews considering existing laws and regulations, highlighting the need to ensure that HHS-OIG delivers positive results by meeting their intended goals. The OIG noted cybersecurity vulnerabilities stemming from repeated cyberattacks accessing critical information in HHS systems, while conducting work to examine and strengthen HHS’s cybersecurity controls.
For over 35 years, Wachler & Associates has represented healthcare providers and suppliers nationwide in a variety of health law matters, and our attorneys can assist providers and suppliers in understanding new developments in healthcare law and regulation. If you or your healthcare entity has any questions pertaining to healthcare compliance, please contact an experienced healthcare attorney at 248-544-0888 or wapc@wachler.com.