Fiscal Year 2010 Budget in Brief

Office of Inspector General

(dollars in millions)

*American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)

Under the authority of the Inspector General Act, the Office of Inspector General improves HHS programs and operations and protects them against fraud, waste, and abuse. By conducting independent and objective audits, evaluations, and investigations, the OIG provides timely, useful, and reliable information and advice to Department officials, the Administration, the Congress, and the public.

The FY 2010 Budget request for the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is $50 million, a net increase of $5 million over FY 2009. In addition to the discretionary appropriation, OIG will continue to receive mandatory funding through various appropriations in FY 2010, which include the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program, authorized by the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1997 and the Medicaid Integrity Program, authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

OIG will use its discretionary funding in FY 2010 to continue providing program integrity and oversight efforts that promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the management and operation of more than 300 programs in HHS. These programs are implemented by every agency of HHS and include significant Administration priorities such as health information technology and food security.

In addition to OIG’s oversight of HHS programs using the discretionary appropriation, during FY 2010 OIG will continue to use its mandatory appropriations for efforts that protect the safety of Medicare and Medicaid program beneficiaries and contribute to the financial solvency of the programs.

DISCRETIONARY PRIORITIES

Oversight of Food, Drug and Medical Device Safety: OIG has elevated the priority of its oversight responsibilities of public health agencies – such as FDA and NIH – in response to several high-profile issues related to food, drug and medical device safety. These agencies are required to have policies and programs in place that create safeguards to ensure the integrity of medical research endeavors, protect human research subjects, and provide for pre-approval and post-approval monitoring of regulated medical products and treatments. OIG will continue its oversight and inspection work in this critical area during FY 2010.

Grants Oversight: HHS receives and distributes more grant money than all other Federal agencies combined. Accordingly, OIG will continue providing oversight to ensure that HHS grants are appropriately monitored and managed throughout the grant life-cycle. In FY 2010 OIG will continue to assess the mechanisms in place to ensure that proper procedures are used to award and fund grants, account for expenditures, and verify that they are only used for authorized purposes.

An additional $1.2 million is provided in FY 2010 for three state component error rate reviews for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families as part of its Improper Payments Information Act monitoring activities.

Child Support Enforcement Program: OIG will continue to provide coverage of all 50 States and the District of Columbia through its multi-agency task forces that identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who willfully avoid payment of their child support obligations under the Child Support Recovery Act. OIG’s task forces bring together State and local law enforcement and prosecutors, United States Attorneys’ Offices, United States Marshals Service, and State and county child support personnel, as well as other interested parties.

Health Information Technology: HHS has a significant role in advancing the development and implementation of a national health information network. OIG will continue its oversight efforts of HHS’ health information technology programs and objectives by monitoring HHS’ implementation efforts and examining HHS grantees’ compliance with applicable requirements.

Ethics Program Oversight and Enforcement: OIG has long been involved in oversight and enforcement related to the Department’s ethics program. Prior OIG work has identified vulnerabilities in the Department’s oversight of outside activities and potential conflicts of interest. OIG is directing continued attention to ensuring the effectiveness of the Department’s ethics program and management of conflicts of interest.

Other Discretionary Priorities: OIG’s funding in FY 2010 will also support continued oversight and compliance efforts, including the annual financial statement audits and Federal Information Security Management Act compliance. This funding will also enable OIG to continue funding the security detail for the HHS Secretary.

MANDATORY PRIORITIES

Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program and Medicaid Integrity Program: Several mandatory appropriations fund OIG’s oversight of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. OIG works closely with CMS, other HHS agencies, DOJ and State governments to recover funds owed to the Medicare Trust Fund or CMS.

In FY 2010 OIG will continue this important work by building upon existing research and developing independent and objective assessments of threats to program integrity. OIG will also use available funds to indentify and prosecute perpetrators of health care fraud; conduct audits, investigations, and inspections that identify causes of and methods for preventing fraud, waste, and abuse; and protect the well-being of HHS program beneficiaries.

FY 2010 Budget in Brief Home