The Office of Personnel Management has eight recommendations that the Government Accountability Office considers high priority for 2026, centered on improper payments, technology management and the federal workforce.
GAO had identified 14 priority recommendations in August 2025. OPM implemented three, and the watchdog removed priority status from three others in July, leaving eight still designated for senior attention.
The largest quantified opportunity involves federal employee health benefits. GAO says stronger action on eligibility could prevent up to an estimated $1 billion a year in improper payments for people who are not eligible for coverage.
An estimate of preventable payments is not a confirmed annual loss. Realized savings would depend on the accuracy of eligibility data, implementation costs, corrective action and how many improper payments controls actually stop.
GAO also pointed to duplicative or unnecessary software licenses. Better inventory and management practices could reduce costs while giving OPM a clearer view of the systems it buys and operates.
The workforce recommendations focus on the government's ability to recruit and retain talent. OPM is the central federal human-resources agency, so weaknesses in its policies and systems can affect agencies beyond its own staff.
Priority recommendations are a selected subset of GAO's open work. The designation reflects potential savings, risk reduction, improved decisions or progress on government-wide management problems; it does not mean other open recommendations are closed.
GAO has sent these letters to agency leaders since 2015 and tracks implementation separately. A recommendation remains open until the watchdog verifies that corrective action adequately addresses it.
The new count records movement but not completion: three recommendations were implemented, yet eight remain priority items. The next evidence will be documented OPM controls and GAO's assessment of whether they produce the intended results.