OIG: IT a top challenge for HHS in FY2015

Information technology is a top concern when it comes to significant management and performance challenges cited by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS') Office of Inspector General.

The OIG's fiscal year 2014 list of top challenges includes implementing, operating and overseeing health insurance marketplaces, and meaningful and secure exchange and use of electronic health information.

“These challenges reflect continuing vulnerabilities that OIG has identified for HHS over recent years as well as new and emerging issues that HHS will face in the coming year,” according to auditors, who compiled a list of the top 10 challenges confronting the department.

Insurance marketplaces were one of the biggest challenges for the department in fiscal year 2014 and the report named them as the top challenge in FY 2015 as well. Going forward, the marketplaces face complex functions that require "effective communication and coordination between and among all internal and external parties with marketplace responsibilities, including within HHS and with contractors, issuers and partners in state and federal government."

Meaningful and secure exchange and use of electronic health information is No. 6 on OIG's list of top challenges. Although the Meaningful Use incentive program has paid out more than $25 billion, OIG indicated concern that not all of the eligible providers will continue to participate. Continued efforts by HHS "to link payments with care quality, health outcomes or performance as part of healthcare delivery system reforms, [require HHS] to ensure that EHR and other health information datat are accurate and reliable and are protected from misuse."

The report said OIG has identified vulnerabilities in oversight controls for EHR incentive payments as well as the accuracy of EHR incentive payment calculations. They also found that both states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not implement strong prepayment controls and lacked adequate data to verify participants' self-reported attestations about their eligibility and meaningful use of EHRs.