United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2000-04-21 monographic deposited born digital 40 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-00-57 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57 P0b002ee1803970be f:he00057 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57 HEHS-00-57 Veterans Data integrity Health care services Persons with disabilities Accountability Health care cost control Rehabilitation programs Veterans benefits Performance measures VA Veterans Integrated Service Network Letter Report HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) compliance with the requirements to maintain capacity and access for veterans with special disabilities, focusing on: (1) the accuracy of the conclusions in VA's fiscal year (FY) 1998 annual capacity report; and (2) challenges facing VA in managing its special disability programs.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) VA concluded in its annual report for FY 1998 that it had maintained its capacity to treat veterans with special disabilities; (2) however, VA's data are not sufficient to support that conclusion because of extensive data problems, such as the use of unreliable proxy measures to identify veterans with special disabilities; (3) moreover, VA based its conclusion on national statistics that indicated more special disability veterans were served with fewer resources expended in 1998 than in 1996; (4) however, there is considerable variability among the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN), and, in fact, some VISNs reported serving fewer veterans; (5) in addition, VA attributes reduced expenditures and the use of fewer resources to efficiency gains--however, because it lacks outcome measures, VA cannot tell whether it has maintained, enhanced, or diminished quality of care; (6) VA faces challenges in maintaining its capacity to serve special disability populations; and (7) in particular, the lack of a single VA headquarters unit accountable for ensuring compliance with the capacity legislation may have caused delays in: (a) monitoring and investigating locations where capacity appears to have declined; and (b) fully implementing congressionally mandated performance standards for VA employees responsible for allocating and managing special disability program resources. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57.pdf GAO/HEHS-00-57 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-00-57 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-00-57; Disabled Veterans' Care: Better Data and More; Veterans Data integrity Health care services Persons with disabilities Accountability Health care cost control Rehabilitation programs Veterans benefits Performance measures VA Veterans Integrated Service Network Public Law 104-262 Public Law 105-368 H. Rept. 104-690