The Nation - News from June 27, 1988

Congress is making decisions about the $120-billion-a-year Medicare and Medicaid programs on the basis of federal research that is often delayed or of poor quality, the General Accounting Office reported. The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, said the Health Care Financing Administration was producing reports that “were often not fully responsive to congressional needs, were frequently late and were variable in their technical adequacy.” The GAO attributed some of the problems to the lengthy review and revision process conducted by Administration policy-makers. More than 45 million elderly, disabled and poor Americans rely on Medicare and Medicaid to pay for their health services.