GAO performed 31 covert tests to selected sales representatives and stated that we had pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, and we requested coverage for these conditions to see if the sales representative directed GAO's undercover agents to a comprehensive Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)-compliant plan, or a PPACA-exempt plan that does not cover what we

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other

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

The numbers of opioid prescriptions and claims for the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Insurance (DI) program have each declined nationally in recent years, but rates vary widely across the country. National trends show both peaking between 2010 and 2014 and then declining. GAO's analysis shows counties with the highest rates of both were concentrated in the Southeast (see figur

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) generally requires that coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SU) be no more restrictive than coverage for medical/surgical services. State agencies and the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Health and Human Services (HHS) share responsibility for overseeing compliance with these M

Limited information exists about Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) crowd-out—that is, substituting CHIP for private health insurance. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), asked the 42 states that have separate CHIP programs to report on two crowd-out indicators for the 2017 annual reports: (1) the percentage of in

The Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) website—a primary resource for comparing Medicare coverage options—is difficult for beneficiaries to use and provides incomplete information, according to stakeholders and research studies. These sources and directors of State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) GAO surveyed—who assist beneficiaries with their Medicare coverage choices—reported that

Enrollment in private health insurance plans continued to be concentrated among a small number of issuers in 2015 and 2016. In the overall large group market (coverage offered by large employers), small group market (coverage offered by small employers), and individual market (coverage sold directly to individuals), the three largest issuers held 80 percent of the market or more in at least 37 of

Since 2014, when health insurance exchanges established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) began operating, issuers medical costs for enrollees (claims costs) in the individual market have varied widely.(1) Claims costs were higher than expected in early years (from 2014-2016). Reviewed studies and interviews with selected issuers indicate that claims costs for plans sold t

According to the 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an estimated 5.6 million uninsured, low-income adults--those ages 19 through 64--had incomes at or below the income threshold for expanded Medicaid eligibility as allowed under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Estimates from this nationally representative survey showed that about 1.9 million of the 5.6 million u