Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Health and Human Services

What GAO Found

In May 2024, GAO identified 35 priority recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since then, HHS has implemented four of those recommendations, including sharing data that helps ensure the reproducibility of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research, and increasing agencies' awareness of limitations related to cybersecurity.

In May 2025, GAO identified four additional priority recommendations for HHS, bringing the total number of open priority recommendations to 35. These 35 recommendations involve the following seven areas:

• Leadership of public health emergency preparedness and response; 
• Food and Drug Administration oversight;
• Prevention and reduction of improper payments in Medicaid and Medicare;
• Public health and human services program oversight;
• Medicaid program oversight;
• Medicare payment accuracy and appropriateness; and
• Health care infrastructure, information technology, and cybersecurity improvements.

Implementing these priority recommendations could help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of key federal health care programs and funding.

Why GAO Did This Study

Priority recommendations are the GAO recommendations that have not been implemented and warrant attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.

For more information, contact Jessica Farb at farbj@gao.gov.