Using proven strategies and emerging innovations, HHS is working to ensure that we are responsible stewards of every taxpayer dollar in our budget. Across the department, HHS agencies are fighting fraud, waste, and abuse; ensuring our programs are operating effectively and efficiently; reducing unnecessary administrative burdens; improving access to data; and encouraging innovation, collaboration and creativity, to achieve our goal of improving the health and well-being of every American.
- Promote Responsible Stewardship
Reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs is a top priority for the Department. The Council on Program Integrity is examining HHS efforts–from Medicare and Medicaid, to Head Start and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, to medical research and public health grants—and is conducting risk assessments to identify and address systemic vulnerabilities. HHS is enhancing existing program integrity efforts, exploring new strategies, sharing best practices, and measuring results. Concurrently, and without compromising program integrity, HHS is working to reduce unnecessary burdens on state, local, tribal and territorial governments that implement our programs, identifying program areas that could achieve better outcomes to taxpayers at lower cost. HHS is pursuing both short and long term strategies to promote administrative flexibility while improving outcomes. - Support Informed Decision-Making through Responsible Use of HHS Data
HHS is making data available to the public to help generate insight into how to improve health and well-being, improve HHS performance, and provide the basis for new products and services. HHS also ensures that appropriate data privacy and security protections are in place. Through new efforts like HealthCare.gov’s Insurance Finder, the Health Data Initiative, and FDA-TRACK, HHS is making data available to consumers, health care providers, researchers, policymakers, and others to guide decision-making in many aspects of health and health care. - Foster Participation and Innovation
HHS is cultivating a culture of innovation by encouraging our employees to submit new ideas and rewarding them through the Secretary’s Innovation Awards Program, and by promoting stakeholder involvement in public competitions and crowd sourcing to help improve the delivery of consumer information on patient safety and health. Through our open government efforts, HHS is sharing information with the public to help stakeholders collaborate and contribute ideas for solutions to health, public health, and human services challenges.