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Medicare: HCFA's Use of Anti-Fraud-and-Abuse Funding and Authorities

HEHS-98-160 Published: Jun 01, 1998. Publicly Released: Jun 01, 1998.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed: (1) the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) progress in implementing the Medicare Integrity Program; (2) what additional resources and authorities Congress provided to HCFA through the Medicare Integrity Program; (3) how HCFA has made use of these resources and authorities to improve the protection of Medicare funds; and (4) how HCFA plans to use these authorities and resources in the future.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Health Care Financing Administration The Administrator, HCFA, should take advantage of the assured program safeguard funding provided through HIPAA by initiating planning efforts to give its contractors more timely notification of the program safeguard activities they are expected to perform and the funding they have available to carry out these activities.
Closed – Implemented
HCFA responded to the recommendation by providing its contractors, before the start of fiscal year 1999, instructions on how new HIPAA program safeguard funding was to be used, and notification of the amount of funding available.

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Topics

Cost controlErroneous paymentsFraudFunds managementHealth care programsInternal controlsMedical expense claimsMedicareProgram abusesService contracts