HRA/Investigation, Revenue and Enforcement Administration

Investigation, Revenue and Enforcement Administration (IREA) is the investigative arm of the largest social services agency in the United States. We lead the country in investigative practices and techniques, and using integrated data analytics to combat fraud and encourage compliance. With a public assistance system as large as New York City’s, in which billions of dollars in cash assistance, Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are administered, it is imperative that benefits are not improperly dispersed.

We are particularly proud of two major innovations: (a) the intense use of data matches and data analytics to support our investigative fieldwork, and (b) the use of front-end review and detection programs to prevent inappropriate or fraudulent enrollments in our social programs. Furthermore, IREA will only grow in size and importance as public and private sector organizations begin to implement the Affordable Care Act, and we expand our work to meet the growing demands of the industry.

IREA was one of the first large scale public efforts to use both fieldwork and integrated data analytics to prevent inappropriate enrollments in our cash assistance programs. The Bureau of Eligibility Verification is IREA’s largest and most effective program—measured not in convictions of individuals who successfully evaded program controls, but in effective controls for the prevention of these inappropriate enrollments, while respecting the privacy and dignity of program applicants. Beginning in May 2012, this approach to both prevention of inappropriate enrollments and respect for program applicants was applied to the Medicaid program. Our other bureaus and divisions are also part of a proud tradition—protecting not only program integrity, but also protecting program recipients from fraud. They also collect revenue from various sources and return it to the City, State, and Federal governments.