OIG Releases Semiannual Report to Congress

The HHS, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its Semiannual Report to Congress: April 1, 2009-September 30, 2009, summarizing the significant audit, investigation and evaluation accomplishments in the second half of FY 2009; it’s reporting savings and expected recoveries of $20.97 billion. According to the OIG, it continues its mandated work pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and its work with its “law enforcement partners to pursue bad actors who bilk scare resources from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.” Relying on its Office of Investigations, which spearheaded Medicare Fraud Strike Forces in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the OIG has targeted many broad-based fraud schemes, resulting in nearly 200 convictions and millions of dollars in restitution. Further, building on the success of the Strike Force model, OIG is working closely with the DOJ on a new initiative announced last May, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT).