Medicare/Medicaid Funds Can Be Better Used To Correct Deficiencies in Indian Health Service Facilities
HRD-83-22
Published: Aug 16, 1983. Publicly Released: Aug 16, 1983.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the Indian Health Service's (IHS) management of funds collected from Medicare and Medicaid programs for services provided in its facilities to Indians eligible for those programs. IHS is required by law to use the funds collected to make improvements in its facilities to enable them to meet and remain in compliance with Medicare/Medicaid standards.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Assistant Secretary for Health to revise IHS procedures to allow unobligated Medicare/Medicaid collections to be distributed to IHS facilities with unmet needs. |
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) disagreed with this recommendation for reasons already addressed in the report. Therefore, GAO believes that action should be taken to implement this recommendation.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Assistant Secretary for Health to increase the efficiency of the IHS Medicare/Medicaid billing and collection system by such means as eliminating duplicative functions among the various IHS organizational levels and increasing automation of the system where justifiable by cost savings. |
Implementation of the computerized system was completed during 1992.
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Topics
Billing proceduresCollection proceduresFacility maintenanceMedicareFunds managementHealth care facilitiesHealth care servicesMedicaidHospitalsHealth