Accession Number:

ADA604870

Title:

VA Health Care: Further Action Needed to Address Weaknesses in Management and Oversight of Non-VA Medical Care

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

Personal Author(s):

• Williamson, Randall B.

Report Date:

2014-06-18

Pagination or Media Count:

23.0

Abstract:

GAO s May 2013 report on the oversight and management of the Non-VA Medical Care Program found that the Department of Veterans Affairs VA does not collect data on wait times veterans face in obtaining care from non-VA providers. The lack of data on wait times limits VA s efforts to effectively oversee the Non-VA Medical Care Program because it is not possible for VA to determine if veterans who receive care from non-VA providers are receiving that care sooner than they would in VA facilities. In addition, GAO found that VA cannot assess the cost-effectiveness of non-VA medical care because it cannot analyze data on all services and charges for an episode of care, which is a combined total of all care provided to a veteran during a single office visit or inpatient stay. As a result, VA cannot determine whether delivering care through non-VA providers is more cost-effective than augmenting its own capacity in areas with high utilization of non-VA medical care.

Descriptors:

• *DATA MANAGEMENT
• *MEDICAL SERVICES
• COST EFFECTIVENESS
• PATIENTS
• VETERANS(MILITARY PERSONNEL)

Subject Categories:

• Economics and Cost Analysis
• Medicine and Medical Research
• Numerical Mathematics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE