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 2004-08-18 monographic deposited born digital 54 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-1000R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R P0b002ee18038fe44 f:d041000r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R GAO-04-1000R Comparative analysis Cost analysis Health care cost control Health care programs Health insurance Payments Price regulation Prices and pricing Program evaluation Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Correspondence A11858 Health care spending varies across the country due to differences in the use and price of health care services. Understanding the reasons for utilization and price variation may contribute to developing methods to control health care spending. This report provides preliminary results from our work on geographic variations in health care spending and prices. Congress asked us to examine geographic variations in health care spending and prices in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). FEHBP is the health insurance program administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for federal civilian employees and retirees, which covered 8.5 million people in 2001. FEHBP contracts with private insurers to provide health benefits. It is the largest private insurance program in the United States. This report summarizes preliminary information provided to you at an interim briefing on July 21, 2004. The enclosed briefing slides highlight the results of our work comparing Milwaukee to other areas of the country. The objectives of the briefing were to (1) compare Milwaukee health care spending per enrollee, hospital inpatient prices, and physician prices with other metropolitan areas, and (2) examine factors identified by stakeholders in Milwaukee that may affect health care spending and prices. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R.pdf GAO-04-1000R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-1000R Correspondence GAO-04-1000R; Milwaukee Health Care Spending Compared to Other Metropolitan Areas: Geographic Variation in Spending for Enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Comparative analysis Cost analysis Health care cost control Health care programs Health insurance Payments Price regulation Prices and pricing Program evaluation Federal Employees Health Benefits Program