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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Fraud Risk Management
GAO-25-107290
Jan 28, 2025
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should finalize its key guidance documents on fraud risk management—the Fraud Risk Management Implementation Plan and the Fraud Risk Assessment Portal Methodology—and clearly establish a process for conducting fraud risk assessments for HHS programs, including TANF, at regular intervals and when there are changes to the program or its operating environment. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should develop and document standard operating procedures for conducting regular fraud risk assessments tailored to TANF. This should include the roles and responsibilities of HHS entities involved in the process. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should develop a process for direct and regular communication with state and local agencies, and their respective OIGs or auditors, about TANF fraud risks that includes an approach for soliciting information from these entities and document this process in its standard operating procedures for conducting fraud risk assessments tailored to TANF. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should update the design of HHS's Fraud Risk Assessment Portal to have the functionality to allow users to assess the likelihood and impact of each fraud risk identified in a program, such as TANF; determine the related fraud risk tolerance; and include those results in the portal as part of their fraud risk assessments. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Health and Human Services As part of finalizing HHS's key guidance documents on fraud risk management, the Secretary of HHS should require users to assess the likelihood and impact of each fraud risk identified in a program, such as TANF; determine the related fraud risk tolerance; and include those results in the Fraud Risk Assessment Portal as part of their fraud risk assessments. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should update the design of HHS's Fraud Risk Assessment Portal to have the functionality to allow for the regular assessment of any additional fraud risks facing TANF, including those identified by GAO. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Foster Care: HHS Should Help States Address Barriers to Using Federal Funds for Programs Serving Youth Transitioning to Adulthood
GAO-25-107154
Jan 22, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary for Health and Human Services should ensure the Administration for Children and Families documents a plan to have regional offices work with states, Tribes, and U.S. territories to address any barriers they face in spending federal Chafee funds and ensure the plan includes guidance on how regional office staff can help jurisdictions address these challenges.
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Older Americans: HHS Should Apply Leading Practices as It Coordinates Overlapping Programs
GAO-25-107020
Jan 08, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should ensure that ACL, in consultation with other member agencies as appropriate, develop a written plan for its work with the Coordinating Committee that incorporates the eight leading practices on enhancing interagency collaboration. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery: Federal Guidance Needs to Address Work Arrangements for Those Living in Residential Facilities
GAO-24-106101
Jul 08, 2024
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Assistant Secretary of SAMHSA should incorporate single state agencies (SSA) into existing guidance development processes or develop a formal process to proactively consult SSAs about the information they need regarding how work should be incorporated into substance misuse treatment and recovery, and use the SSA feedback from such processes to inform the development of publicly available guidance. (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation. HHS noted that informational guidance it develops would focus on how work should be incorporated into substance use disorder treatment and separately how work should be addressed with respect to recovery housing. We will monitor the progress of their efforts.
Department of Health and Human Services The Assistant Secretary of SAMHSA should explicitly state in SUPTRS Block Grant application materials (1) that incorporating work into a treatment facility resident's treatment plan should involve an individualized assessment to determine if and when work is appropriate, and that requiring work as a condition for accessing treatment services is not acceptable, and (2) if and when requiring work as a condition of accessing services is acceptable at recovery housing. (Recommendation 2)
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation. The agency stated that it would incorporate a statement in the fiscal years 2025-2026 SUPTRS Block Grant application materials to address the recommendation. We will monitor the progress of their efforts.
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