Medicare Catastrophic:

Roll Back of Premiums on Schedule

IMTEC-90-30: Published: Mar 16, 1990. Publicly Released: Mar 26, 1990.

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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO addressed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) efforts to stop withholding Medicare catastrophic coverage premiums.

GAO found that: (1) SSA planned to complete computer reprogramming by mid-March 1990; (2) the Treasury would issue two refunds totalling $572 million in excess withholdings; and (3) Medicare appropriated funds would cover the $49-million cost of collecting premiums while still issuing refunds.

Recommendations for Executive Action

  1. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The recommended action was completed in full, effective April 1990.

    Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should require SSA officials managing the reprogramming to complete the documentation of specific changes that were made. The documentation prepared should, as a minimum, list the programs that were used to calculate and deduct catastrophic payments.

    Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

  2. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The recommended action was completed in full, effective April 1990.

    Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should require SSA officials managing the reprogramming to complete the documentation of specific changes that were made. The documentation prepared should, as a minimum, document the order in which these programs should be run.

    Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

  3. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The recommended action was completed in full, effective April 1990.

    Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should require SSA officials managing the reprogramming to complete the documentation of specific changes that were made. The documentation prepared should, as a minimum, provide detailed descriptions of each program showing the input, its format, the files required, and the output to be expected.

    Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

  4. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The recommended action was completed in full, effective April 1990.

    Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should require SSA officials to maintain the special software developed so that it can be used to respond swiftly to future emergency changes until the modernization of SSA programs is completed.

    Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

 

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