Dual-eligible beneficiaries are Medicare beneficiaries who are also enrolled in the Medicaid program in their state. In certain states, they may receive both types of benefits through private managed care plans. As of January 2019, about 386,000 such individuals were enrolled in both a private Medicare plan known as a dual-eligible special needs plan (D-SNP) and a Medicaid managed care organizati

Most state Medicaid programs reported that they increased the rates paid to physicians and other health care providers for services that treat substance use disorders (SUD), such as medication or behavioral therapy. Specifically, over 80 percent of all states increased rates for at least one SUD service from 2014 to 2019. About two-thirds of states' rate increases were targeted specifically to SU

Officials from seven selected states that GAO interviewed described challenges they faced implementing new Medicaid provider screening and enrollment requirements, established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010 and the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016. These challenges included establishing procedures for risk-based screenings, using federal databases and collecting r

The prevalence of obesity—that is, body weight higher than what is considered a healthy weight for a given height—was about 38 percent among all U.S. adults, according to the latest available national estimates at the time of GAO's analysis. This prevalence was similar for adults with different types of health insurance. Treatment for adults with obesity may include one or more of nine prescr

The Department of Defense's (DOD) TRICARE Select Implementation Plan addressed the seven specific elements mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (NDAA 2017). These elements are (1) Element A: ensuring that at least 85 percent of the TRICARE Select beneficiary population is covered by the network by January 1, 2018; (2) Element B: ensuring access standards for hea

The appeals process for Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims consists of four administrative levels of review within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and a fifth level in which appeals are reviewed by federal courts. Appeals are generally reviewed by each level sequentially, as appellants may appeal a decision to the next level depending on the prior outcome. Under the administ

The nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefits offered by Medicare and Medicaid differ. Medicare provides NEMT via ambulance only when other means of transportation, such as a taxi or wheelchair van, would jeopardize the health of the beneficiary. Medicaid NEMT is generally available for beneficiaries who have no other means of transportation to medical services. States are responsible f

To help ensure that veterans are provided timely and accessible health care services, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has purchased care from non-VA community providers through its care in the community programs since as early as 1945. GAO's preliminary work from the sites it visited shows that in fiscal year 2015, VHA's claims processing was si

Federal spending for Medicaid managed care increased significantly from fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year 2014 (from $27 billion to $107 billion), and represented 38 percent of total federal Medicaid spending in fiscal year 2014. Consistent with this national trend, managed care as a proportion of total federal Medicaid spending was higher in seven of eight selected states in fiscal year 2014

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responsible for overseeing the Medicare Advantage (MA) program--Medicare's private plan alternative. Since 2011, CMS has defined an adequate MA provider network as meeting two criteria: a minimum number of providers and maximum travel time and distance to those providers. To r