Fiscal Year 2024: Justification of Estimates for Congress, Presented in Testimony April 18, 2023, 2322 Rayburn House Office Building pp. 1-80, https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/budget/1105/FY-2024-HHS-OIG-CJ.pdf
A Message From Inspector General Christi A. Grimm
I am pleased to present the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department), Office of Inspector General (OIG) fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request. OIG would use requested funding to protect the integrity, effectiveness, and efficiency of more than 100 HHS programs as well as the health and welfare of the people they serve.
For FY 2024, OIG requests a total of $514.8 million for independent, objective oversight of HHS programs. The request includes $123.3 million for oversight of HHS’s Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) programs and $391.5 million for oversight of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program activities and law enforcement activities coordinated with HHS and the Department of Justice.
With the requested FY 2024 resources, OIG would continue to conduct mission-critical oversight and enforcement to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs through, for example, the detection of fraud schemes, misspent funds, and improper payments. The requested resources would advance OIG’s longstanding oversight in key PHHS areas including the health and safety of infants and children served by HHS programs; the quality, safety, and integrity of services provided by public health programs; and grants and contracts management. OIG would continue its extensive oversight of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, focusing on key areas such as improving nursing homes; ensuring the integrity of growing managed care programs; addressing high costs of prescription drugs; and advancing access to care while reducing disparities. Across our work, we use a risk-based approach to target high-impact opportunities to improve health, promote well-being, enhance program integrity, and identify potential savings.
Additionally, the FY 2024 budget includes rebasing essential mandatory HCFAC funding for investigative, enforcement, and oversight activities to address urgently needed resources, including OIG criminal investigative agents, to combat serious health care fraud and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Furthermore, resources requested in the FY 2024 budget would support new investment in OIG’s oversight of HHS’s emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities, and in enforcement activities targeting emergency-related fraud and abuse. [Emphasis added: See Initiative: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: $5.3 Million, 20 Positions, pp. 32-38]
OIG delivers positive results for the American people. OIG holds accountable bad actors who harm people and steal from taxpayer-funded programs. OIG’s audits and evaluations identify program weaknesses and recommend program improvements. OIG uses data analytics to identify trends and potential program vulnerabilities. To foster compliance and integrity, OIG produces guidance and other resources for industry stakeholders. The FY 2024 budget request would enable OIG to remain an agile organization that pivots quickly to address emerging oversight needs.
OIG appreciates the continued support of Congress and HHS to advance the OIG mission to protect the health and well-being of all Americans. [p.1]