Washington, DC – Today, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Charles Boustany Jr., M.D. (R-LA) and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Ranking Member Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius regarding an independent audit conducted by Ernst & Young, which reveals continued shortcomings and weaknesses within HHS’ financial management system.  Boustany and Coburn are following up on questions about last year’s annual audit, which found that HHS had improperly accounted for more than $794 million in 2010.  

In the letter, Boustany and Coburn stated, “It is unacceptable that HHS fails to maintain accurate financial records and fails to adhere to federal law designed to protect taxpayer dollars from mismanagement and waste.”

Boustany and Coburn went on to highlight several findings of continued concern and called on HHS to provide explanations to the issues below by March 15, 2012:

• HHS and Treasury Accounts Differ by $500 Million – An Increase of $100 Million since September 2010
• $886 Million in Mystery Money – An Increase of More Than $250 Million since 2010
• $2 Billion in Taxpayer Dollars in Limbo Disappears in the 2011 Financial Audit
• $2.6 Billion Owed to Employer-based Retiree Prescription Drug Plans – An Increase of $700 Million since FY 2010
• $3.8 Billion Owed to CMS – An Increase of $2.2 Billion since FY 2010

The full letter can be read here.