“The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this review to determine whether VA complied with the requirements of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA) for fiscal year (FY) 2019.”
“Each agency’s inspector general is required to determine whether the agency complies with IPERA. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) CircularA-123 specifies that each agency’s inspector general annually review improper payment reporting in the agency’s Performance and Accountability Report or the Agency Financial Report (AFR) and issue a report on the agency’s compliance with IPERA.”
What the Review Found
“VA did not comply with IPERA because it did not satisfy the last two of the six requirements set forth in OMB Circular A-123, appendix C. Specifically, VA did not
- Meet annual reduction targets for one VHA activity—Medical Care Contracts and Agreements—assessed to be at risk for improper payments; and
- Report a gross improper payment rate of less than 10 percent for six VA programs and activities that had improper payment estimates in its FY 2019 AFR.”
- “VA satisfied the other four IPERA requirements:
- Published the FY 2019 AFR on VA’s website
- Conducted program-specific risk assessments that conformed with section 3321 note of title 31 U.S.C.
- Published improper payment estimates for all programs and activities identified as susceptible to significant improper payments
- Published corrective action plans where appropriate”
What the OIG Recommended
“The OIG recommended the executive in charge, Veterans Health Administration, implement appropriate IPERA testing procedures to ensure evidence is sufficient to verify that services were received for the Purchased Long-Term Services and Supports program.”
“Additionally, three OIG recommendations remained open from the OIG’s FY 2017 and FY 2018 IPERA reports due to repeat findings or ongoing issues…”
Read the full 48-page report here.
Source: VA’s Compliance with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act for FY 2019 – May 14, 2020. VA OIG.
