Reports

Accurate, complete, and appropriately detailed race and ethnicity data for Medicare beneficiaries are critical to identifying and mitigating health disparities. As racial and ethnic disparities have emerged among those impacted by COVID-19, the availability and quality of data on race and ethnicity has garnered greater attention and scrutiny. This study will describe the extent to which Medicare's race and ethnicity data for beneficiaries are complete and accurate. We will compare these data to data from other sources. We will also determine the extent to which the Medicare beneficiary race and ethnicity data align with Federal data standards.

The objective of this desk review is to evaluate Newtok Village Council’s documentation supporting the uses of its Coronavirus Relief Fund proceeds as reported in GrantSolutions, and to assess risk of unallowable use of funds. The scope of our review will include obligation and expenditure data for the period March 1 through September 30, 2020, as reported in cycles 1 and 2 in the GrantSolutions portal.

The objective of this desk review is to evaluate the State of South Dakota’s documentation supporting the uses of its Coronavirus Relief Fund proceeds as reported in GrantSolutions, and to assess risk of unallowable use of funds. The scope of our review will include obligation and expenditure data for the period March 1 through September 30, 2020, as reported in cycles 1 and 2 in the GrantSolutions portal.

The objective of this desk review is to evaluate the US Virgin Islands  documentation supporting the uses of its Coronavirus Relief Fund proceeds as reported in GrantSolutions, and to assess risk of unallowable use of funds. The scope of our review will include obligation and expenditure data for the period March 1 through September 30, 2020, as reported in cycles 1 and 2 in the GrantSolutions portal.

Evaluate controls implemented by the IRS to ensure the $765.7 million in appropriated funds received for its Coronavirus response is adequately tracked and used for its intended purpose. 

Economic and health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have left States facing increases in new applications for health insurance through the Medicaid and ACA Marketplace programs. Responding to the pandemic, including meeting the new enrollment and oversight demands, has taxed State health care systems. This evaluation will assess efforts by the States and CMS to effectively enroll residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Medicaid and ACA Marketplace plans. By identifying effective practices or any breakdowns in enrollment and oversight systems, this review would help improve the efficiency of State health insurance enrollment processes under both emergency and more typical conditions.

The OIG is conducting a survey of inmates in BOP-managed federal prisons regarding BOP's COVID-19 pandemic response.

HUD OIG is conducting a limited review of HUD's administration of supplemental operating funds under the CARES Act. The CARES Act authorized an additional $685 million in public housing operating funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.  The review objective is to assess Public Housing Agencies' (PHA) experiences and challenges and HUD's efforts in providing guidance related to the administration of supplemental operating funds under the CARES Act.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS implemented a number of waivers and flexibilities that allowed Medicare beneficiaries to access a wider range of telehealth services without having to travel to a health care facility. This review will be based on Medicare Parts B and C data and will identify program integrity risks associated with Medicare telehealth services during the pandemic. We will analyze providers' billing patterns for telehealth services. We will also describe key characteristics of providers that may pose a program integrity risk to the Medicare program.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses special challenges for victims of domestic violence. Because of economic and other uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and the shelter-in-place orders in effect for most States, abusers may exert further power and control over their partners. Victims in these States are more socially isolated and have fewer opportunities to connect with others who may be able to assist them. Isolated victims may be less likely to use crisis hotlines because their abusers are close by, and victims may face repercussions if they reach out for help. For fiscal year 2020, the Administration for Children and Families allocated $12 million for the National Domestic Violence Hotline (the Hotline). The Hotline operates a 24-hour, national, toll-free, and confidential telephone hotline for victims of domestic violence. It maintains a comprehensive resource database on services for these victims and is the only 24/7 center in the Nation that has access to service providers and shelters across the United States. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provided additional funding of $2 million for the Hotline, including hotline services provided remotely. Our objectives are to identify: (1) trends with the Hotline data that occurred during nationwide shelter-in-place orders and (2) whether the Hotline faced challenges that occurred during States' shelter-in-place orders and actions it has taken to address these challenges while continuing to support those affected by domestic violence.