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Recommendations Database

GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

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As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Results:

Subject Term: "Prospective payments"

1 publication with a total of 1 open recommendation
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Medicare: Payment Methods for Certain Cancer Hospitals Should Be Revised to Promote Efficiency
GAO-15-199, Feb 20, 2015
Director: James Cosgrove
Phone: (202) 512-7114

1 open recommendations
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Recommendation: To help the Department of Health and Human Services better control spending and encourage efficient delivery of care, Congress should consider requiring Medicare to pay PCHs as it pays PPS teaching hospitals, or provide the Secretary with the authority to otherwise modify how Medicare pays PCHs. To generate cost savings from any reduction in outpatient payments to PCHs, Congress should also provide that all forgone outpatient payment adjustment amounts be returned to the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.

Agency: Congress
Status: Open

Comments: As of March 2020, no legislative action had been identified that changes how PCHs are paid for inpatient services, as GAO suggested in February 2015. The 21st Century Cures Act-Pub. L. No. 114-255, ?16002, 130 Stat. 1033, 1325 (2016), enacted in December 2016-slightly reduces the additional payments to PCHs for outpatient services furnished on or after January 1, 2018, and returns savings to the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund. However, the law does not substantively change how PCHs are paid for outpatient services, which differs from how Medicare pays PPS teaching hospitals. Until Medicare pays these cancer hospitals in a way that encourages greater efficiency, Medicare remains at risk for overspending.