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 1999-08-04 monographic deposited born digital 42 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-99-165 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165 P0b002ee1803a121c f:he99165 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165 HEHS-99-165 Internal controls Erroneous payments Program abuses Fraud Contract oversight Claims processing Health care programs Health insurance cost control Performance measures Medicare Integrity Program Medicare Secondary Payer Program Medicare Program Letter Report HEHS Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) contractors perform five main types of activity under the Medicare Integrity Program, which was established in 1996 to safeguard Medicare from fraud, waste, and abuse. The program has predictable, assured funding and HCFA's contractors are better able than before to plan and implement their safeguard strategy and efforts. HCFA has recently hired program contractors, and it is emphasizing prepayment claims reviews to promote correct claims payment and avoid the difficulty of seeking repayment from providers when claims are paid in error. HCFA has taken or plans to take corrective action to improve important areas identified by audit reports under the Chief Financial Officers Act. It is also taking seriously its responsibilities to improve program safeguard operations in response to recommendations from GAO and from the Office of the Inspector General. HCFA will be better able to measure the program's effects with more time and better data https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165.pdf GAO/HEHS-99-165 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-99-165 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-99-165; Medicare: Program Safeguard Activities Expand, but Results; Internal controls Erroneous payments Program abuses Fraud Contract oversight Claims processing Health care programs Health insurance cost control Performance measures Medicare Integrity Program Medicare Secondary Payer Program Medicare Program