Dive Brief:
- The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) on Thursday released its annual list of top 10 management and performance challenges facing the department.
- OIG says the list should inform decision making as the department implements its “Reimagine HHS” initiative, which was launched in May by former HHS Secretary Tom Price following President Donald Trump’s call for each cabinet department to reform and reorganize operations.
- The annual report largely mirrors past reports, but now specifically names the opioid crisis as a top challenge, reflecting the federal government's focus on curbing the impact of the crisis on communities across the country.
Dive Insight:
The challenges identified by OIG reach across the department’s responsibilities, and include four areas of priority for the watchdog: fighting the opioid crisis, protecting children’s health and safety, preventing improper payments and fraud and partnering with states to protect Medicaid program integrity.
OIG suggests that if its recommendations to address the top challenges are implemented, the federal government stands to generate large savings and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its programs.
The top 10 management challenges facing HHS, according to OIG, include:
1.) Ensuring Medicare program integrity and financial stewardship.
2.) Improving Medicaid program integrity and ensuring compliance with fiscal controls.
3.) Addressing the opioid epidemic.
4.) Improving care for the elderly and children.
5.) Ensuring that private insurers contracting with CMS or states maintain integrity of managed care plans.
6.) Improving HHS financial and management systems.
7.) Protection HHS public health and human services grants from fraud.
8.) Ensuring the safety of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and food.
9.) Ensure programs serving American Indian and Alaska Native populations are run effectively.
10.) Protecting HHS data from cybersecurity threats.
The watchdog says addressing challenges fighting opioid epidemic is a top priority, falling in line with efforts by Trump to address the issue. A Nov. 16 Altarum report found that the societal costs of the opioid epidemic cost more than $95 billion in 2016.
However, funding remains an issue. The report states that substantial increases in funding from both the private and public sectors is needed to curb the epidemic. Trump recently declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, but critics say a national emergency designation through the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act would have made more money available to fight the crisis.
OIG's suggestions echo recommendations from the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The report says HHS should focus on stopping inappropriate prescribing of opioids, preventing fraud and diversion of prescription opioids and potentiator drugs, increasing access to treatment programs and protecting the integrity of federal grant programs.
Protecting HHS data from cybersecurity threats is another challenge OIG says HHS should focus on. The report says such threats could threaten the department’s ability to offer programs and could place patient health and safety at risk.
In June, the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force released its "Report on Improving Health Care Industry Cybersecurity," which contained a number of suggestions aiming to address the challenge of cyberattacks targeting health care.
OIG notes that while HHS has worked with public and private partners to coordinate against cybersecurity threats, more work is needed to update legacy systems and implement modern IT management practices.