OIG Report: Healthcare Reform, Fraud Among Top Challenges Facing HHS

Tags: Affordable Care Act | CMS | HHS | Medicaid | Medicare | Medicare fraud | OIG

Implementing the Affordable Care Act is the number one challenge facing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to an Office of Inspector General report.

The OIG published the 2011 Top Management and Performance Challenges facing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The document identifies both continuing and emerging challenges, discusses HHS' progress in addressing the issues and outlines steps needed to manage the challenges.

The OIG identified the following top challenges:

1. Implementing the Affordable Care Act.
2. Preventing and detecting Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
3. Identifying and reducing improper payments.
4. Patient safety and quality of care.
5. Integrity and security of information systems and data.
6. Availability and quality of data for effective program oversight.
7. Oversight of CMS program and benefit integrity contractors.
8. Ensuring integrity in Medicare and Medicaid benefits delivered by private plans.
9. Avoiding waste in healthcare pricing methodologies.
10. Grants management and administration of contract funds.
11. Ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply.
12. Oversight of the approval, safety and marketing of drugs and devices.
13. Oversight and enforcement of the department's ethics programs.

Related Articles on OIG:

AHA Asks CMS, OIG to Finalize ACO Fraud & Abuse Waivers
OIG: CMS Accepted $15.1M in Prescriptions Written by Excluded Providers
OIG Identifies Medicare Overpayments to 2 California Hospitals

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