They go up a little, they go down a little. But they never really go away. Last year federal improper payments were up a little over $175 billion. In its annual look under this rock, the Government Accountability Office found that agencies that have mitigation programs in place don't measure how effective they are. For the latest, the GAO's director of financial management and assurance issues, Beryl Davis.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices