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 2007-03-06 monographic deposited born digital 12 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-567T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T P0b002ee18039bd84 f:d07567t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T GAO-07-567T Beneficiaries Comparative analysis Evaluation methods Financial analysis Medical economic analysis Medical fees Medicare Physicians Statistical methods Strategic planning Testimony A66486 Medicare's current system of spending targets used to moderate spending growth for physician services and annually update physician fees is problematic. This spending target system--called the sustainable growth rate (SGR) system--adjusts physician fees based on the extent to which actual spending aligns with specified targets. In recent years, because spending has exceeded the targets, the system has called for fee cuts. Since 2003, the cuts have been averted through administrative or legislative action, thus postponing the budgetary consequences of excess spending. Under these circumstances, policymakers are seeking reforms that can help moderate spending growth while ensuring that beneficiaries have appropriate access to care. For today's hearing, the Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is exploring options for improving how Medicare pays physicians, asked GAO to share the preliminary results of its ongoing study related to this topic. GAO's statement addresses (1) approaches taken by other health care purchasers to address physicians' inefficient practice patterns, (2) GAO's efforts to estimate the prevalence of inefficient physicians in Medicare, and (3) the methodological tools available to identify inefficient practice patterns programwide. GAO ensured the reliability of the claims data used in this report by performing appropriate electronic data checks and by interviewing agency officials who were knowledgeable about the data. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T.pdf GAO-07-567T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-567T Testimony GAO-07-567T; Medicare Spending: Preliminary Findings Regarding an Approach Focusing on Physician Practice Patterns to Foster Program Efficiency; Beneficiaries Comparative analysis Evaluation methods Financial analysis Medical economic analysis Medical fees Medicare Physicians Statistical methods Strategic planning Volume 117 Page 2066 117 Stat. 2066 Public Law 108-173