Distressed Communities:
Capital Investments Were Postponed in Texas as Local Economies Weakened
HRD-91-14: Published: Feb 6, 1991. Publicly Released: Feb 6, 1991.
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GAO provided information on the condition of basic public services in two economically distressed communities in Texas, focusing on: (1) the changing federal-local fiscal relations due to declining federal aid and the loss of general revenue sharing; and (2) local efforts to cope with fiscal problems and whether state policies helped to offset those circumstances.
GAO found that: (1) federal aid to municipalities and counties declined sharply between 1980 and 1990, and the general revenue sharing program ended in 1986; (2) Texas experienced wide swings in economic fortune between 1970 and 1990, primarily due to the instability of its oil and gas industry; (3) Texas remained fiscally conservative at the state level during the economic swings, although many localities increased their tax efforts; (4) state aid patterns placed heavy financing responsibilities on Texas counties and municipalities, which consistently financed a greater share of total state-local spending for most public services than other states' localities; (5) Texas' local governments had many local tax sources that were comparable to those of other states' localities, such as property taxes, general sales taxes, and some selective sales taxes; (6) poorer communities had more difficulty than other localities in providing public services because they had greater needs but fewer resources; (7) general-purpose state aid to poorer communities did not address all of the demographic and socioeconomic factors contributing to localities' fiscal distress, but the aid helped to lessen public service problems; (8) the gap between poorer and more affluent communities in Texas remained high compared to most other states; and (9) when public service needs exceeded revenues, local governments used such coping strategies as management improvements, revenue actions, reductions in spending, and postponement of capital investment.
Jan 21, 2021
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Rural Hospital Closures:
Affected Residents Had Reduced Access to Health Care ServicesGAO-21-93: Published: Dec 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2021. -
Health Care Funding:
Federal Obligations to and Funds Received by Certain Organizations Involved in Health-Related Services, 2016 through 2018GAO-21-188R: Published: Dec 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2021.
Jan 14, 2021
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Medicaid:
Data Completeness and Accuracy Have Improved, Though Not All Standards Have Been MetGAO-21-196: Published: Jan 14, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 14, 2021.
Jan 4, 2021
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Medicare Severe Wound Care:
Spending Declines May Reflect Site of Care Changes; Limited Information Is Available on QualityGAO-21-92: Published: Jan 4, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 4, 2021.
Dec 22, 2020
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Defense Health Care:
Efforts to Ensure Beneficiaries Access Specialty Care and Receive Timely and Effective CareGAO-21-143: Published: Dec 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 22, 2020.
Dec 16, 2020
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Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports:
Access and Quality Problems in Managed Care Demand Improved OversightGAO-21-49: Published: Nov 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 16, 2020.
Dec 14, 2020
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Drug Pricing Program:
HHS Uses Multiple Mechanisms to Help Ensure Compliance with 340B RequirementsGAO-21-107: Published: Dec 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 14, 2020. -
Substance Use Disorder:
Reliable Data Needed for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant ProgramGAO-21-58: Published: Dec 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 14, 2020.
Dec 10, 2020
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Indian Health Service:
Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Provider Misconduct and Substandard PerformanceGAO-21-97: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020. -
Clinical Labs:
Studies Suggest Biopsy Specimen Misidentification and Contamination Errors Are InfrequentGAO-21-59: Published: Nov 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
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