Tag Archives: oversight

All About Medicaid

We’ve talked a lot about Medicare on this blog but Medicaid, a federal-state health care program, is also on our radar. In fact, it’s one of our High Risk issues. Today’s WatchBlog looks at the size and complexity of Medicaid, … Continue reading

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Federal Efforts to Help People with Mental Illness

Some 10 million Americans suffer from serious mental illness. We focused on services for them in a previous WatchBlog post, but they are part of a bigger picture: about 43 million adults—roughly 1 in 5—live with some form of mental health … Continue reading

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Rulemaking in the Federal Government

Federal regulation is a basic tool of government. Agencies issue thousands of regulations, or rules, each year to achieve public policy goals, such as ensuring that: workplaces, air travel, foods, and drugs are safe; the nation’s air, water, and land … Continue reading

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What Exactly Are “Improper Payments”?

Improper payments are always an area of concern for the federal government. These include overpayments, underpayments, payments made to ineligible recipients, or even payments that weren’t properly documented. While fraudulent payments are considered improper, not all improper payments are the … Continue reading

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Chemical Safety One Year After Explosion in West, TX

Last year, a fire set off a tragic explosion at a fertilizer storage and distribution facility in West, Texas. The explosion killed and injured many people and severely damaged nearby houses and other buildings, including schools. While the investigation that … Continue reading

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GAO’s Marcia Crosse Nominated for Service to America Award

Congratulations are in order for GAO’s Marcia Crosse, who was announced this week as a finalist for the 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. Crosse, a director in GAO’s Health Care team, is one of 5 finalists for … Continue reading

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An Introduction to GAO’s Key Issues

Each year, we issue hundreds of reports on topics spanning the full breadth and scope of the federal government’s responsibilities. In fiscal year 2013, we issued 709 reports, made 1,430 new recommendations, and testified at 114 congressional hearings. We developed … Continue reading

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Are Financial Planners Always Working in Your Best Interest?

People frequently use financial planners for help with such things as selecting investments and insurance products, and managing tax and estate planning. Entrusting someone with your money can be risky. What steps can you take to mitigate that risk?  We … Continue reading

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