The FCC Office of Inspector General released an "initial" analysis of recent audits. A primary objective was to provide audits results based on error rates under the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA). While the study concluded that the erroneous payment rate was well above IPIA standards, the analysis also seemed to indicate that compliance with the rules and regulations was about 90%.
According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an "erroneous payment is defied under the IPIA to be:
"any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements. Incorrect amounts are overpayments and underpayments (including inappropriate denial of payment or service). An improper payment includes any payment that was made to an ineligible recipient or for an ineligible service, duplicate payments, payments for services not received, and payments that are for the incorrect amount. In addition, when an agency's review is unable to discern whether a payment was proper as a result of insufficient or lack of documentation, this payment must also be considered an error."
It is unclear at this time if the OIG considered an erroneous payment for all applicants involved that failed to maintain adequate records or only if certain records or documentation could not be found. It is also unclear based on the title of the report if a final analysis will be publicly released as well.
The FCC News Release can be viewed here.
The FCC OIG Audit Analysis can be viewed here.
