Health Care Access:
Programs for Underserved Populations Could Be Improved
T-HEHS-00-81: Published: Mar 23, 2000. Publicly Released: Mar 23, 2000.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the effectiveness of the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) two safety-net programs--the Community and Migrant Health Center program and the National Health Service Corps--to improve access to medically underserved populations.
GAO noted that: (1) both the health centers and the Corps are important safety-net providers to the nation's vulnerable populations, but GAO believes certain improvements would enhance the effectiveness of these programs; (2) most health centers continue to be able to serve vulnerable populations, even though a number of significant changes have occurred in the health care environment; (3) HRSA has helped centers respond to developments such as the growing number of uninsured and Medicaid's increased use of managed care by encouraging centers to form networks and participate in managed care; (4) HRSA could increase its effectiveness, however, by establishing a systematic "best practices" program to allow centers to learn from one another and by improving the completeness and accuracy of its data--especially financial--that are used to monitor centers; (5) the Health Care Financing Administration, which administers the Medicaid program, could help ensure health centers' continued ability to serve Medicaid beneficiaries and the uninsured by monitoring state Medicaid programs' compliance with federal requirements for reimbursing centers; (6) since its reauthorization in 1990, the Corps has expanded and now provides thousands of health care providers to underserved areas; (7) however, it, too, could be more effective; (8) a shift of resources could help to provide more loan repayments; and (9) also needed are an improved system to identify and measure areas' need for Corps providers, a better placement process, and coordination with other federal and state efforts to place providers in areas that need them.
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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