Medicare: Impact of State Mandatory Assignment Programs on Beneficiaries

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the impact of four states' mandatory assignment laws, which required physicians to accept Medicare's approved amount as full payment for certain health care services, on: (1) Medicare beneficiaries' and non-beneficiaries' out-of-pocket costs; (2) physician services volume and intensity; and (3) Medicare beneficiaries' access to health care.