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 1995-04-21 monographic deposited born digital 49 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-95-46 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46 P0b002ee180381fab f:he95046 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46 HEHS-95-46 Health care services Native Americans Licenses Health services administration Health care programs Public Health Service facilities Indian affairs legislation Physicians Reductions in force Appropriated funds Medicare Program Medicaid Program IHS Contract Health Services Program Ada (OK) Claremore (OK) Chapter Report HEHS

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on American Indians' access to quality health care services, focusing on the: (1) Indian Health Service's (IHS) efforts to ensure that temporary physicians working in IHS facilities are qualified and competent to perform assigned duties; and (2) extent that medical services are delayed under the IHS Contract Health Services Program.<p/>GAO found that: (1) IHS patients may be receiving substandard care because IHS is not always aware of temporary physicians who have had performance or disciplinary problems; (2) although IHS requires that temporary physicians possess a current medical license without restrictions, it fails to verify all of the physicians' current or prior licenses; (3) most IHS facilities have contracts with companies that are not required to inform IHS of the status of their physicians' licenses; (4) IHS facilities do not possess a network to share information on the performance of its temporary physicians; (5) although IHS can purchase specialized medical services from non-IHS providers under the Contract Health Services program, preventive care is not always funded; and (6) IHS is implementing legislatively required staff reductions, however, officials are unsure of how these reductions will impact future medical services or expansion programs if appropriations are reduced as well. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46.pdf GAO/HEHS-95-46 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-46 Chapter Report GAO/HEHS-95-46; Indian Health Service: Improvements Needed in Credentialing Temporary Physicians; Health care services Native Americans Licenses Health services administration Health care programs Public Health Service facilities Indian affairs legislation Physicians Reductions in force Appropriated funds Medicare Program Medicaid Program IHS Contract Health Services Program Ada (OK) Claremore (OK) Title 25 Section 1602 25 U.S.C. 1602