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 2008-04-01 monographic deposited born digital 21 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-612R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R P0b002ee18037ed72 f:d08612r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R GAO-08-612R Aid for education Debt collection Defense capabilities Education or training costs Education program evaluation Financial management Health care personnel Health care programs Health care services Internal controls Medical education Military forces Military operations Military personnel Personnel recruiting Program management Reimbursements to government Scholarship programs Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program Correspondence A81526

Military physicians and other health care professionals are needed to support operational forces during war or other military conflicts and to maintain the well-being of the forces during nonoperational periods. These professionals also provide health care services to military retirees and dependents. The Department of Defense (DOD) acquires its health care professionals primarily through two programs--the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program and the Financial Assistance Program--with which it recruits and trains military health care providers who fill medical specialty positions. These programs offer participants reimbursement for tuition, books, fees, other education expenses, and a stipend, which is a fixed amount of money given to the participants on a monthly basis, in return for an active duty service obligation. Recruiting and retaining highly qualified health care professionals, however, is becoming more challenging for each of the military services. The added stresses of repeated deployments and the general perceptions of war, along with the potential for health care providers to earn significantly more money outside of DOD, have caused some professionals to choose to separate themselves from military service, even after DOD has paid for all or part of their medical education. Because DOD medical training programs can take years and are a costly investment, DOD is negatively affected both financially and operationally when individuals do not fulfill their active duty obligations. The Conference Report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 directed the Comptroller General of the United States to report to the congressional defense committees by April 1, 2008, on the number of Health Professions Scholarship Program or Financial Assistance Program participants who do not enter active duty following completion of the program of studies for which they were enrolled, including the extent to which the military services have sought and received reimbursement for stipends or annual grants paid. Accordingly, we examined the extent to which (1) participants in the Health Professions Scholarship Program or Financial Assistance Program fail to enter active duty service, as obligated; (2) DOD has procedures in place to recoup expenditures paid under the Health Professions Scholarship Program or Financial Assistance Program to participants who failed to meet their contractual obligations; and, (3) DOD has specifically sought and received reimbursement for stipends. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R.pdf GAO-08-612R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-612R Correspondence GAO-08-612R; Military Personnel: Better Debt Management Procedures and Resolution of Stipend Recoupment Issues Are Needed for Improved Collection of Medical Education Debts; Aid for education Debt collection Defense capabilities Education or training costs Education program evaluation Financial management Health care personnel Health care programs Health care services Internal controls Medical education Military forces Military operations Military personnel Personnel recruiting Program management Reimbursements to government Scholarship programs Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program Title 37 Section 303a 37 U.S.C. 303a Public Law 92-426