Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: Recent HHS Approvals Continue to Raise Cost and Oversight Concerns

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 2008-01-31 monographic deposited born digital 77 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-87 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87 P0b002ee180386454 f:d0887 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87 GAO-08-87 Cost control Cost effectiveness analysis Evaluation criteria Federal funds Federal/state relations Health care cost control Health care costs Health insurance cost control Medicaid Program evaluation Program management Strategic planning Waivers Other Written Product A80342 Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: Recent HHS Approvals Continue to Raise Cost and Oversight Concerns Medicaid, a joint federal and state program, finances health care for 60 million low-income people. Section 1115 of the Social Security Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain federal Medicaid requirements and allow demonstration projects that are likely to promote Medicaid objectives. Under federal policy, states must show that federal spending for proposed demonstrations will be no greater than if the state's existing Medicaid program were continued. GAO examined the extent to which HHS ensured that recent comprehensive 1115 demonstrations--affecting a broad range of services for beneficiaries statewide--will (1) be budget neutral to the federal government and (2) maintain Medicaid's fiscal integrity. For demonstrations approved in 2005 (Florida and Vermont), GAO obtained information from federal and state officials and also relied on past reviews of other demonstrations. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87.pdf GAO-08-87 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-87 Other Written Product GAO-08-87; Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: Recent HHS Approvals Continue to Raise Cost and Oversight Concerns; Cost control Cost effectiveness analysis Evaluation criteria Federal funds Federal/state relations Health care cost control Health care costs Health insurance cost control Medicaid Program evaluation Program management Strategic planning Waivers