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 1999-02-11 monographic deposited born digital 24 p. GA 1.13:T-HEHS-99-58 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58 P0b002ee18037a2ca f:he99058t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58 T-HEHS-99-58 Systems conversions Health care programs Health insurance Internal controls Human resources utilization Strategic planning Total quality management Claims processing Financial management Y2K Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund Medicare Integrity Program Children's Health Insurance Program HCFA Medicare Transaction System Medicare Program Medicare Choice Program National Medicare Education Program Medicaid Program Testimony HEHS The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) pays for health care coverage for nearly a quarter of the population. Two programs that HCFA administers -- Medicare and Medicaid -- cost taxpayers about $370 billion in fiscal year 1998. Over the years, GAO has reported on problems in HCFA's management that have weakened the fiscal integrity of HCFA programs, leading to increased monetary loss from fraud, abuse, and erroneous payments. GAO has included Medicare on its list of government programs that are especially vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. (See GAO/OCG-99-7, Jan. 1999.) Medicare's long-term financial condition is now one of the nation's most pressing problems. Recent legislation gave HCFA substantial new authorities and responsibilities for reforming Medicare in order to extent the solvency of Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund beyond 2008. The legislation also established the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare to develop more long-term solutions for further ensuring Medicare' integrity and solvency. This testimony updates GAO's assessment of HCFA's progress in implementing these new authorities and administering its programs. Specifically, GAO reviews HCFA's progress in (1) addressing its most immediate priorities and (2) strengthening its internal management to effectively discharge its major implementation and oversight responsibilities. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58/html/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58/pdf/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58.pdf GAO/T-HEHS-99-58 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-99-58 Testimony GAO/T-HEHS-99-58; HCFA Management: Agency Faces Multiple Challenges in; Systems conversions Health care programs Health insurance Internal controls Human resources utilization Strategic planning Total quality management Claims processing Financial management Y2K Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund Medicare Integrity Program Children's Health Insurance Program HCFA Medicare Transaction System Medicare Program Medicare Choice Program National Medicare Education Program Medicaid Program