Performance and Accountability in FY 2018
Posted on November 15, 2018
We saved the government over $75 billion—a return of about $124 for every dollar invested in us—in FY 2018. Our annual Performance and Accountability Report details our work supporting the Congress and helping improve the performance and accountability of the federal government.
This year’s report highlights the money we’ve helped the government save, how we’ve helped improve federal operations, and our congressional testimonies.
Today’s WatchBlog explores.
Saving taxpayer money
We achieved cost savings in federal agencies and programs by making recommendations to prevent payment errors, reduce fraud, and make better use of federal funds.
For instance, our work:
- Helped Medicaid revise spending limits for its demonstration projects (saving $36.8 billion)
- Reduced improper payments at the Department of Health and Human Services (saving $1.9 billion)
- Identified unobligated balances in DOD's Military Personnel accounts (saving $849 million)
- Prompt Congress to direct the Veterans Health Administration to research the overmedication of veterans that led to deaths, suicides, and mental health disorders
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection better protect U.S. manufacturers and consumers from the risks of counterfeit products sold online
- The Department of Justice and the Office of National Drug Control Policy develop results-oriented measures, such as reductions in overdose deaths, to help them assess progress in combatting the nation’s opioid epidemic
- The Transportation Security Administration to begin to update and improve its risk assessment and strategy to secure airports and control access to restricted areas
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency to pilot a data-sharing process with states to identify potentially duplicative disaster assistance payments
- Congress to pass legislation to strengthen the nation’s data on elder abuse by requiring annual data collection and reporting
- Questions on the content of this post? Contact Chuck Young at youngc1@gao.gov.
- Comments on GAO’s WatchBlog? Contact blog@gao.gov.