DHA Office of the Inspector General

Anyone may file a complaint. If you have a concern and are unsure if you should file a complaint, contact your local IG office or the DHA OIG for guidance. While the IG can accept third party complaints, it’s always best for the actual person who has an issue or witnessed the alleged wrongdoing to file the complaint.

It depends. There are many situations for which law or regulation provides personnel with a remedy or means of redress. Generally, the IG can’t assist personnel until they have exhausted the established means of redress. 

Matters not appropriate for DHA IG:

• TRICARE Grievances / Appeals / Billing Issues
• TRICARE Fraud and Abuse
• HIPAA Complaints
• Whistleblower Reprisal (Appropriated Fund (AF) Employees)
• EEO/EO Diversity Management
• Sexual Assault / Harassment
• Civil Related Matters - Local Civilian Courts
• Civilian Employment Grievance - LMER / CPAC / EAP
• Military Pay / Allowances - MILDEP Service
• Legal Redress / UCMJ - MILDEP Service
• Active Duty Service Member (ADSM) Personal Misconduct - MILDEP Service
• Child / Spousal Support - Unit Commander

If you have an issue and are unsure of your options, contact the IG for advice. You may follow procedures for filing a complaint at DHA Office of the Inspector General | Health.mil. Or call our Hotline at 703-681-9700.

DHA IG inspections focus on systemic issues rather than recurring inspections of DHA Components or programs. DHA IG inspections follow the DOD Joint IG Inspections model and adhere to the Council of the Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) quality standards. There are multiple internal and external inputs to the inspection topic process to ensure selected topics support Director, DHA priorities and add value to the Military Health System.

IGs normally handle complaints that can’t be resolved by other established redress process. For example:

• Violations of a Law, Regulation or Policy
• Fraud, Waste and Abuse
• Gross Mismanagement
• Procurement / Contract Fraud
• Misuse of Government Property
• Bribery / Accepting Gratuities
• Military Whistleblower Reprisal (WBR)
• Government Travel or Purchase Card Fraud

If you have an issue and are unsure of your options, contact the IG for advice. You may follow procedures for filing a complaint at DHA Office of the Inspector General | Health.mil. Or call our Hotline at 703-681-9700.

No! Lawful communication with an IG is a protected communication. A supervisor or employee is prohibited from taking action against a federal employee or service member for having made a protected communication. However, the IG is obligated to report or refer allegations, depending on the nature of the matter, to the appropriate authority regardless of who presents matters to the IG.

Unfortunately not. Information provided to an IG is NEVER off the record. However, while we protect the confidentiality of all sources, the IG cannot guarantee confidentiality.

The IG highly encourages the use of the chain of command or supervisors to address issues at the lowest level. We will always ask if you have contacted your chain of command about your issues. If your supervisor is the source of your problem, have you spoken to your command? Still in doubt? You may follow procedures for filing a complaint at the DHA Office of the Inspector General website, or call our Hotline at 703-681-9700.

No. There are no preconditions that need to be met before you see an IG. However, if you see us during duty hours, ensure that you have permission to be excused from your appointed place of duty.

Before you file a complaint, review the listing of avenues of redress to ensure your issue is appropriate for the DHA OIG Hotline. 

If you have an issue and are unsure of your options, contact the IG for advice. You may follow procedures for filing a complaint at DHA Office of the Inspector General. Or call our Hotline at 703-681-9700.

The DHA OIG should reach out to you telephonically or by email to confirm receipt of your request for IG assistance. Additionally, we may need to ask you clarification questions to fully understand your request for IG assistance. We will evaluate all requests to determine if the matter warrants further inquiry. Some matters require an investigation and others do not. It’s important to understand that certain matters don’t fall under DHA OIG purview.

No. The IG has no command authority. Therefore, we gather facts, report, and make recommendations to the Director or level of leadership who can best address the matter.

Personnel, who file complaints that result in an investigation or inquiry, will receive a final notification upon completion of the inquiry. Copy of IG records may be requested through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

Those who knowingly and intentionally provide false statements to an IG are subject to potential punitive and administrative action. Additionally, we ask complainants to tell the whole story and not omit any information relevant to the matter. 

You may remain anonymous, but we will not be able to contact you for more information. You may request confidentiality. The IG will make every effort to prevent disclosure of your identity, but we cannot guarantee confidentiality.