On May 26, 2020, Christi A. Grimm, the Principal Deputy Inspector General with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) provided a video briefing before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform. Ms. Grimm spoke on behalf of the agency and the Administration’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) response.
In her opening statement, Ms. Grimm focused on the essential role HHS is performing throughout the pandemic, including vaccine development, testing, and guidance for staying safe. She also indicated that the agency is deploying medical volunteers to the front lines of health care; working with State, local, and Tribal governments to plan for and respond to surges; and directing billions in Federal funds to bolster health care and human services for those most in need.
HHS’ Goals in Response to COVID-19
Ms. Grimm also spoke about the agency’s strategy for responding to, and recovering from, the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy had four goals: (1) protect people, (2) protect funds, (3) protect infrastructure, and (4) promote effectiveness. As of May 26, HHS had fourteen COVID-19-related reviews posted to its public work plan, with dozens more topics in development.
With respect to protecting people, HHS works to conduct health and safety reviews, combat fraud schemes, and provide information and guidance to the public. To begin, from March 23 through March 27, HHS conducted telephone interviews with hospitals around the country to understand the impact of the pandemic on health care. Additionally, OIG is working to identify and eliminate scammers trying to take advantage of the pandemic. Ms. Grimm mentioned scammers who are targeting Medicare beneficiaries and trying to steal their Medicare numbers, scammers who offer fake treatments and non-existent vaccines to vulnerable populations, and scammers who offer bonus contact tracing – enticing people to click on malicious links to find out if they have been exposed to COVID-19.
As far as protecting funds, as of mid-May 2020, HHS was appropriated $251 billion for COVID-19 response and recovery. CMS is also responding by implementing changes to coverage and other requirements in support of Medicare and Medicaid patients, including implementing increased funding. On May 22, 2020, OIG added a new audit to the public work plan to determine whether the $50 billion general distribution from the provider relief fund was correctly calculated and distributed to eligible providers.
HHS OIG also works to protect the health information technology and data infrastructure critical to the health care industry, including research.
The last leg of the HHS strategy is promoting the effectiveness of HHS programs, especially the impact of flexibilities offered to providers during the emergency. As you may know, HHS waived coverage and payment rules to expedite access to testing and treatment. The agency is now looking into how those waivers affect patients, providers, and programs.
Balancing Oversight with Minimizing Burden
Ms. Grimm noted that HHS OIG is “balancing the need for robust oversight with minimizing unnecessary burden on providers and program staff caring for communities” and that they are allowing deadline extensions, delaying work where access to facilities is unsafe, and adjusting methods to avoid intruding on care. She also reiterated the agency’s dedication to protecting millions of Americans and supporting the health care professionals working hard to serve the public.
Additional Discussion
Ms. Grimm also reiterated the importance of Inspectors General performing their work independently and remaining committed to continuing oversight of the COVID-19 response, “Independence is the cornerstone of the IG Act.” She further noted that “anything that is done that could impair independence, I think, compromises the effectiveness of oversight of programs that are there to serve the American public” and that “providing unpopular information” does not “drive decision making” in the OIG office.