Literature GAO reviewed indicated that private insurance payments for anesthesia services on average were more than 3-1/2 times those of Medicare payments. This payment difference increased from what GAO reported in 2007—average private insurance payments for certain anesthesia services in 2004 were about 3 times those of Medicare. While Medicare rates for anesthesia services are set by the Cen

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken steps intended to improve safety at its laboratories, including those that work with hazardous biological agents. Specifically, FDA created the Office of Laboratory Safety (OLS) in 2017 as a safety oversight body for all FDA laboratories. In coordination with FDA's operating divisions—known as centers—OLS has standardized safety policies, incid

The Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) grant announcements soliciting care providers for unaccompanied children—those without lawful immigration status and without a parent or guardian in the U.S. available to provide care and physical custody for them—lack clarity about what state licensing information is required. Further, ORR does not systematically confirm the information submitted by

The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Child Care (OCC) provides states with resources and technical assistance to help determine if drinking water in child care facilities is safe from lead. However, the office does not require that drinking water be tested because there is no requirement to do so under the OCC-administered Child Care and Development Block Grant, a key fede

Physicians GAO interviewed generally found prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) to be useful in preventing drug misuse and potentially dangerous drug prescribing. PDMPs are state-operated electronic databases that track prescriptions patients receive for opioids or other medications that are at risk of being misused. Most of the 31 physicians GAO interviewed said PDMP information helped

This supplement is a companion to GAO's report entitled Disaster Assistance: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen FEMA's Individuals and Households Program (GAO-20-503). The purpose of this supplement is to present additional analysis of applicant data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Individuals and Households Program (IHP) for 2016, 2017, and 2018. The additional analysi

In June 2019, GAO identified indicators of potential fraud or error in income and family size information for borrowers with approved Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans. IDR plans base monthly payments on a borrower's income and family size, extend repayment periods from the standard 10 years to up to 25 years, and forgive remaining balances at the end of that period. The Department of Education

In all 14 focus groups GAO held with older women, women described some level of anxiety about financial security in retirement. Many expressed concerns about the future of Social Security and Medicare benefits, and the costs of health care and housing. Women in the groups also cited a range of experiences that hindered their retirement security, such as divorce or leaving the workforce before the

From fiscal years 2012 through 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) obligated a combined total of $14.7 billion to support operations at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. During this period, 56 percent of the three centers' total obligations came from user fees, which FDA negot

What GAO FoundIn the government’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congress and the administration have taken action on multiple fronts to address challenges that have contributed to catastrophic loss of life and profound economic disruption. These actions have helped direct much-needed federal assistance to support many aspects of public life, including local public health system