Medicare:
Prescription Drug Issues
PEMD-87-20: Published: Jul 16, 1987. Publicly Released: Aug 14, 1987.
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In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information about prescription drugs as they relate to the needs of the elderly.
GAO found that: (1) more than 75 percent of persons older than 65 in the United States use prescription drugs; (2) 90 percent of the elderly who are chronically ill use prescription drugs; (3) persons 65 and older use 30 percent of all the prescription drugs used in the United States, at a rate approximately three times that of the remainder of the population; (4) for three out of four elderly persons, prescription drugs are the largest out-of-pocket health care expense; (5) drug expenditures for persons 65 and older are estimated at $9 billion annually, $7.3 billion of which is out-of-pocket; (6) from January 1980 through 1986, the cost of prescription drugs rose about 80 percent, or 250 percent faster than the rise in consumer prices in general; and (7) 15.5 percent of the elderly patients who require prescriptions are reportedly unable to pay for them. GAO also found that: (1) Medicare generally covers inpatient drugs, but pays for outpatient drugs in only a few instances; (2) 22 of the 48 states with a prescription drug program under Medicaid charge recipient copayments, which range from $0.50 to $3.00; (3) only nine states offer specific programs covering some drug benefits for eligible residents; and (4) Congress has proposed legislation which would reduce out-of-pocket expenditures for Medicare beneficiaries and require states to extend Medicaid coverage to elderly persons who are below the federal poverty level.
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.
Dec 7, 2020
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Medicaid:
CMS Needs More Information on States' Financing and Payment Arrangements to Improve OversightGAO-21-98: Published: Dec 7, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 7, 2020.
Dec 1, 2020
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Military Health Care:
Defense Health Agency Processes for Responding to Provider Quality and Safety ConcernsGAO-21-160R: Published: Dec 1, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 1, 2020.
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