United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-09-28 monographic deposited born digital 40 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-1071 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071 P0b002ee18039b4b0 f:d011071 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071 GAO-01-1071 Health care programs Education or training Internet Information resources management Beneficiaries HCFA Consumer Assessments of Health Plans Study HCFA Regional Education About Choice in Health Initiative Medicare Choice Program Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Medicare Program HCFA National Medicare Education Program State Health Insurance Assistance Program Other Written Product A02060 The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) established the Medicare+Choice (M+C) program to expand health plan choices available to beneficiaries. BBA permitted Medicare participation by preferred provider organizations, provider-sponsored organizations, and insurers offering private fee-for-service plans or medical savings accounts. It also included provisions designed to encourage the wider availability of health maintenance organizations, which have long been an option for many beneficiaries. To help beneficiaries understand and consider all of their Medicare options, the National Medicare Education Program (NMEP) organizes a toll-free help line, informational mailings to beneficiaries, an Internet site, and educational and publicity campaigns. During each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2000, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) spent an average of $107.8 million for NMEP, for a total of $323.3 million. Most of the expenditures were funded from user fees collected from M+C plans, with the rest coming from other HCFA accounts. Reaction to NMEP has generally been positive among beneficiaries and beneficiary advocacy groups, but representatives of M+C plans offered a mixed assessment. NMEP activities have increased the amount and type of information regarding Medicare, the M+C program, and specific health plans that is available to beneficiaries and facilitated access to such information. However, the extent to which NMEP has spurred beneficiaries to actively consider their health plan options is unknown. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071.pdf GAO-01-1071 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1071 Other Written Product GAO-01-1071; Medicare: Program Designed to Inform Beneficiaries and Promote Choice Faces Challenges; Health care programs Education or training Internet Information resources management Beneficiaries HCFA Consumer Assessments of Health Plans Study HCFA Regional Education About Choice in Health Initiative Medicare Choice Program Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Medicare Program HCFA National Medicare Education Program State Health Insurance Assistance Program