Centers for Disease Control Should Discontinue Certain Diagnostic Tests and Charge for Others
HRD-83-37
Published: Apr 06, 1983. Publicly Released: Apr 11, 1983.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO reported on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) laboratory diagnostic testing services program.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should require the Director, CDC, to recover the total cost of laboratory diagnostic testing services provided to private beneficiaries and other federal agencies and to determine the extent to which other nonfederal agencies should be charged. More specifically, CDC should be directed to: (1) charge private health care providers and private clinical laboratories for diagnostic testing; (2) determine the extent to which other nonfederal recipients of CDC testing services should be charged by applying the provisions of the user charge statute and Office of Management and Budget Circular A-25; and (3) charge all federal agencies for diagnostic testing. |
Since the issuance of the report, CDC has, on two separate occasions, requested in its congressional budget submissions that it be granted approval to collect user fees for diagnostic testing services. Congress has not granted CDC the authority to collect such fees. No further requests by CDC are anticipated.
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| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should require the Director, CDC, to improve and enforce diagnostic specimen screening procedures. CDC should be directed to prepare, and maintain on a continuing basis, a list of diagnostic tests which it and commercial or state laboratories can perform. Such a list would be used at the state and CDC laboratory levels to identify those specimens which should be tested initially at a commercial or state laboratory rather than CDC. In addition, CDC should not accept specimens for testing that are not accompanied by all available information requested on the forms provided by CDC for use in submitting specimens. Finally, CDC should not accept specimens for testing which are submitted directly from private health care providers and clinical laboratories unless such submissions are authorized by both CDC and the state laboratory. |
In the 4 years since the issuance of the report, CDC has taken no actions which can be directly attributable to this recommendation. Although GAO believes this recommendation is still appropriate, the lack of congressional support on this matter makes further followup questionable.
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