Federal officials made more than $247 billion in improper payments in 2022, with more than half of the total—$132.4 billion—coming in five major Medicare/Medicaid programs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to a June 2023 analysis by nonprofit government watchdog Open The Books (OTB).
OTB, which is based in Illinois, specializes in using Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests at all levels of government to make public as much official spending of tax dollars as possible.
The $247 billion for 2022 was the second-highest annual improper payment total since 2004, when such expenditures were first documented. The two-year total of $528 billion spanning President Joe Biden’s tenure is the highest ever….