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Administration of Hill-Burton Assurances and Loan Assistance Program Needs To Be Improved

HRD-82-87 Published: Jun 03, 1982. Publicly Released: Jun 03, 1982.
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Highlights

GAO summarized the informal recommendations which were made to program officials during a recent review of the administration of the Hill-Burton Program by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should focus on verifying the Loan Early Warning System's database and collecting other necessary data.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should develop systematic followup procedures to ensure that facilities correct violations noted during complaint investigations and compliance assessments.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF and the Office of Civil Rights should develop procedures for routinely sharing pertinent reports and data relating to compliance assessments and complaint investigations.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should finalize its draft title VI waiver/recovery manual.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should arrange with the Health Care Financing Administration to systematically receive information on facility ownership changes as it becomes available, rather than relying on regional staff to periodically request the information.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should, to reduce the large backlog of complaints and allow individuals to pursue legal actions promptly, formally dismiss uncompensated care complaints on file for over 12 months. In the future, BHF should strictly adhere to its procedures to formally dismiss complaints not resolved within 6 months.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should develop regulations for title XVI waiver and recovery actions to implement the 1975 legislation.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Health Facilities BHF should obtain uncompensated care compliance information, from the hundreds of facilities scheduled to reach the end of their 20-year uncompensated care obligation since September 1979, to determine: (1) why they have not requested closeout assessments; and (2) whether they have reached their compliance levels. In the future, BHF should obtain uncompensated care information from facilities as soon as they reach the scheduled completion of their 20-year obligation.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

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Topics

Health care servicesHospital administrationLoansMonitoringProgram managementCompliance oversightHealth careHealth care facilitiesCivil rightsWarning systems