The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published its annual FOIA report for fiscal year 2024. Below are the significant metrics.

• 51,800 requests received, up 11.3 percent from 46,530 requests received in FY 2023.

• 49,271 requests processed, up 4.5 percent from 47,038 requests processed in FY 2023

• 12,685 requests in backlogged status, a 12.6 percent increase from 11,256 backlogged requests in FY 2023.

• 730 appeals in backlogged status, up 14 percent from640 backlogged appeals in FY 2023.

• $66.1 million in processing costs and $14.1 million for litigation ($80.2 million in total), more than double the $39.7 million in total costs incurred in FY 2023.

  $752k fees collected for processing requests.