12 minutes
Drafting the notice: a worked example Draft an actual program integrity notice using the four elements from lesson one, and see how the same information lands differently depending on how it is written.
What you’ll be able to do Draft a program integrity notice that names what is happening, what stays the same, what is still open, and who to contact, and explain why each element matters to the person receiving it. Compare the responses to this question and explain your choice: What is the most accurate assessment of the difference between the two drafts? Document a next step for Drafting the notice: a worked example: Take an actual notice, letter, or message your team has sent recently and check it against the four elements; rewrite the weakest one. The same facts, two different experiences A provider or client reading a program integrity notice is not evaluating it the way a policy analyst would. They are trying to answer three urgent questions as fast as possible: is something already being taken away from me, how long does this last, and who can I actually talk to. A notice that answers all three, even briefly, produces a completely different experience than one that leaves all three open, even if the two notices describe the exact same underlying review.
This is why 'what stays the same' matters as much as 'what's happening.' A notice that only announces a review, without saying that current services and payments continue unless stated otherwise, leaves the reader to assume the worst, because the notice itself did not rule anything out.
The four elements, applied to one notice What's happening What stays the same What's still open Who to contact
"Your practice has been selected for a routine claims review as part of a category-wide effort; this is not an accusation of wrongdoing." Names the action precisely and rules out the worst assumption immediately.
"Your current services and payments continue as normal during the review." This single sentence does more to reduce unnecessary fear than almost anything else in the notice.
"We expect to complete this review within ninety days and will update you if that changes." Honest about the timeframe and about the possibility it could shift, without implying false certainty.
"If you have questions at any point, contact [named reviewer] directly at [phone/email]." A specific person, not just a department, makes the contact line usable.
Read your own draft as the person receiving it What you can change You control whether a notice you draft or approve gets read once for accuracy and once for what it feels like to receive.
What to watch for Do not assume a factually accurate notice is automatically a clear or reassuring one. Facts and experience are not the same test.
Your next step Before your next notice goes out, read it once as the person receiving it would, and check whether all four elements are answered.
What each element does for the reader What's happening
Rules out the worst assumption immediately by naming the action precisely.
What stays the same
Often the single most fear-reducing line in the entire notice.
What's still open
Honest about the timeframe without promising more certainty than exists.
Who to contact
A named person the reader can actually reach, not just a general office.
Carry this forward The same underlying fact — a routine review is underway — can read as alarming or as manageable depending entirely on how the four elements are written, not on the facts themselves.
Leaving out 'what stays the same' is one of the most common gaps in a real notice, and it is often the single line that most reduces unnecessary fear.
A notice that is honest about what is still open, rather than implying more certainty than exists, holds up better if the situation changes than one that overpromises.
A scenario comparing two drafts of the same notice, and a knowledge check on what a complete notice includes.
Take an actual notice, letter, or message your team has sent recently and check it against the four elements; rewrite the weakest one.
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Previous lesson Next lesson Carry this into practice Practical habits for any DHS staff member whose work touches program integrity communication, review, or the people affected by it.
Return to the experience: What did you notice or try, whose perspective informed it, and what would you keep or adjust?
Participation and course completion in this program do not count toward DHS-required training credits unless management, a director, or DHS leadership expressly approves an exception.
