A Message from the Office of Inspector General

We are pleased to present the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Work Plan for fiscal year (FY) 2010. This publication describes activities that OIG plans to initiate or continue with respect to the programs and operations of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the next year. To place the Work Plan in context, we describe below our mission, work activities, organization, and work-planning process.

Mission
Our mission, as mandated by the Inspector General Act of 1978, 5 U.S.C. App., is to conduct and supervise audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of HHS; provide leadership and coordination and recommend policies for activities designed to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of, and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in, such programs and operations; and provide a means for keeping the Secretary of HHS and Congress informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of such programs and operations and the necessity for and progress of corrective action.

The operational mission statement we use for organizational purposes is to protect HHS program integrity and beneficiary well-being by detecting and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse; identifying to Congress, HHS, and the public opportunities to improve program economy, efficiency, and effectiveness; and holding accountable those who violate program requirements.

Work Activities
We accomplish our mission by conducting audits, investigations, and inspections; by providing industry guidance; and, when appropriate, by imposing civil monetary penalties (CMP), assessments, and administrative sanctions.

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