Medicare Secondary Payer Program: Actions Needed to Realize Savings
(Testimony, 02/23/95, GAO/T-HEHS-95-92).

The Medicare secondary payer program ensures that other health and
accident insurers pay medical costs for covered beneficiaries before
Medicare kicks in.  The program is a major cost containment measure,
saving Medicare about $3 billion in fiscal year 1994.  GAO testified
that several measures could help maximize the savings available under
the program.  First, because program recovery efforts of already paid
Medicare claims have, in effect, been negated by a recent appeals court
ruling, legislation is needed to ensure effective recovery of mistaken
payments under the program.  Second, GAO continues to urge that funding
for the Medicare/Medicaid data bank be delayed until its potential value
can be shown.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HEHS-95-92
     TITLE:  Medicare Secondary Payer Program: Actions Needed to Realize 
             Savings
      DATE:  02/23/95
   SUBJECT:  Medicare programs
             Health insurance
             Health care programs
             Health care cost control
             Data bases
             Beneficiaries
             Health care services
             Medical expense claims
             Surveys
IDENTIFIER:  Medicare Secondary Payer Program
             Medicare/Medicaid Coverage Data Bank
             Medicare Trust Fund
             
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