NIH

As of February 2026, no comprehensive GAO report on FY2025 improper payments has emerged, but recent HHS-OIG audits reveal continued waste, including $45.6 million in improper Maine Medicaid payments for autism services reported January 21, 2026. Late 2025 OIG findings on NIH oversight gaps and CMS $11.2 billion at-risk contracts reaffirm systemic vulnerabilities in grant and contract management. While some programs show improvement, the pattern of poor oversight across federal agencies persists, validating prior concerns.

Since early February 2026, new developments include Elsevier's Heliyon retracting 37 additional papers in 2026 amid an ongoing audit uncovering citation stacking and peer review compromise, following Clarivate's hold since 2024. ASTM's Journal of Testing and Evaluation reached 166 retractions by February 12 with enhanced safeguards against compromised peer review. Wolters Kluwer flagged 126 papers in Medicine on February 20 due to suspicious protocols. The International Journal of Obesity retracted a GLP-1 weight loss study on February 23 after statistical review found unsubstantiated claims. These updates affirm improved detection via PubPeer, audits, and editorial scrutiny, with no evidence of escalating fraud.