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About the Recommendations Tracker

We launched our public-facing recommendations site in January 2023. The initial launch features only our active (open) recommendations. We are currently collecting feedback from you, our external stakeholders, to continue to expand our feature availability. Complete our feedback form.

The site was made possible by internal OIG efforts to modernize and standardize the recommendations follow-up process for our two recommendation-issuing components, the Office of Audit Services (OAS) and the Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI).

How to Use

Summary Section

The summary section features high-level statistics and aggregates data to illustrate high-level insights not easily seen when reviewing individual recommendations.

Explore Open Recommendations

  • Only open recommendations are featured on this site.
  • The recommendations are grouped by the associated OIG report.

Results by Report

Each result includes Report title, Report Type (Audit or Evaluation/Inspection), Report Number, one or more HHS Agencies (also known as Operating Divisions or [OPDIV]), and Report Issue Date.  

Clicking on the "View Report" link will take you to the OIG report PDF document or OIG report page. A link was not available at publishing for those items labeled "report pending."

Table of Recommendations

At the bottom of each result card is a recommendation count and plus sign on the far-right side. Clicking on the plus sign will expand and open the recommendation panel.

Each of the open recommendations will be included in this panel. Each recommendation will also include the Responsible Agency and Potential Savings.

Filters

To the left of the report and recommendation panels are the filters: Report Type, Operating Division, and Report Calendar Year.

Selecting one or more of these filters will limit the panel results on the right side of the page.

Glossary

Acronyms

  • ACA: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
  • ACF: Administration for Children and Families
  • ACL: Administration for Community Living
  • CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • CMS: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  • DME: durable medical equipment
  • EMTALA: Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act
  • FDA: Food and Drug Administration
  • GAO: Government Accountability Office
  • HHS: Department of Health and Human Services
  • HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
  • HRSA: Health Resources and Services Administration
  • IHS: Indian Health Service
  • MCO: managed care organization
  • MFCU: Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
  • NIH: National Institutes of Health
  • OAS: Office of Audit Services
  • OASH: Office of Safety and Health
  • OCIG: Office of Counsel to the Inspector General
  • OEI: Office of Evaluation and Inspections
  • OI: Office of Investigations
  • OIG: Office of Inspector General
  • OMB: Office of Management and Budget
  • OS: Office of the Secretary
  • SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Terms

  • Recommendation: OIG, as an oversight body, regularly conducts reviews and issues reports on these reviews. When vulnerabilities are identified during the review process, OIG includes recommendations to address these issues in the final report.
  • Operating Division (OPDIV): HHS has 12 operating divisions, these divisions administer a wide variety of health and human services and conduct life-saving research for the nation, protecting and serving all Americans.
  • Recommendation Follow-up Process: Under the IG Act, for each recommendation issued, the HHS Agency identified in the report is expected to submit to OIG a final management decision (FMD) within six months of final report issuance. OIG reviews these updates and responds to the Agency in a formal response memo. Following the FMD, OIG requests updates from the Agency on a regular cadence, which allows OIG to monitor progress towards implementation. Once an Agency has implemented the recommendation and provided adequate documentary support, OIG will mark the recommendation as closed implemented, ending the follow-up process.
  • Responsible Agency: An OIG report may have more than one HHS Agency assigned to it; the responsible agency makes clear which agency is accountable for implementation of that recommendation.
  • Potential Savings: Recommendations that identify:
    • funds that could be used more efficiently if an HHS Agency took action to implement an OIG recommendation through reductions in outlays, de-obligation of funds, and/or avoidance of unnecessary expenditures.
    • questionable costs based on (1) an alleged violation of a provision of law, regulation, contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other agreement or document governing the expenditure of funds; (2) a cost that is not supported by adequate documentation at the time of the audit; or (3) the expenditure of funds for the intended purpose is unnecessary or unreasonable.

Last updated January 30, 2023