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VA Contract Hospitalization Program: Timely Transfers of Veterans From Non-VA Hospitals to VA Medical Centers Can Reduce Costs

HRD-81-88 Published: May 12, 1981. Publicly Released: May 12, 1981.
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Highlights

GAO was requested to provide information on the Veterans Administration's (VA) contract hospitalization program. The review was made to evaluate the VA procedures for transferring patients from public and private hospitals to VA health care facilities and identify areas where savings can be achieved. The contract hospitalization program, in addition to other fee basis medical programs, is administered primarily by 80 VA medical centers which have been designated clinics of jurisdiction for this purpose.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Veterans Administration The Administrator of Veterans Affairs should direct the Chief Medical Director to periodically monitor VA clinics of jurisdiction to ensure compliance with VA transfer policies.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Veterans Administration The Administrator of Veterans Affairs should direct the Chief Medical Director to ensure timely transfers of veterans in non-VA medical facilities by establishing monitoring procedures which would include, as a minimum, requiring VA physicians to periodically contact the attending non-VA physician for each veteran hospitalization.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.

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Topics

Health care costsHealth care programsHospital care servicesVeterans benefitsVeterans hospitalsVeteransPhysiciansHospitalsVeterans clinicsHospitalization