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Improper Payments Information Act of 2002: Background, Implementation, and Assessment (PDF)
By Garrett L Hatch, Virginia A McMurtry
September 10, 2007

Summary: This report presents the background, implementation, and assessment of the Improper Payments Information Act (IPIA). The IPIA is intended to increase financial accountability in the Federal government, and thereby reduce wasteful spending. The law requires agencies to identify each year programs and activities vulnerable to significant improper payments, to estimate the overpayments or underpayments exposure, and to report on steps taken to reduce such payments. The IPIA directs each executive branch agency to review all its programs and activities each year, identify those that are susceptible to significant improper payments, and estimate the amount of improper payment exposure. Agencies are then to report improper payments to Congress. Since IPIA reporting began in FY 2004, the Office of Management and Budget has published aggregate improper payments data in an annual report. Data show that the error rate declined in each of the two fiscal years since the government-wide baseline for improper payments was established in FY 2004. Data also show that the dollar amount of the government’s improper payments declined by $6.56 billion between FY 2004 and FY 2005, and then increased by $2.03 billion between FY 2005 and FY 2006.

Index Terms: Assessment, Federal Agencies, Federal Funding, Federal Role, Accessibility, Reports, Improper Payments, Medicare, State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), U.S. Congress, U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), U.S. Senate, Women Infants And Children Supplemental Food Program (WIC)

Publisher: Congressional Research Service

Publication Type: Reports (Descriptive)

Pages: 17 pages
Language: English
URL: http://opencrs.com/rpts/RL34164_20070910.pdf

Availability
Congressional Research Service

 
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