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VA Medical Centers: Further Operational Improvements Could Enhance Third-Party Collections

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the face of growing demand for veterans' health care, GAO and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) have raised concerns about the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) ability to maximize its third-party collections to supplement its medical care appropriation. GAO has testified that inadequate patient intake procedures, insufficient documentation by physicians, a sho… more
Date: July 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Drug Control: Aviation Program Safety Concerns in Colombia Are Being Addressed, but State's Planning and Budgeting Process Can Be Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of State supports foreign governments' efforts to eradicate illicit drug crops. In recent years, State's Office of Aviation has maintained aircraft and provided support for the aerial eradication program of the Colombian National Police. However, eradication aircraft are often shot at from the ground requiring helicopter gunships and a search and rescue helicopter to accompany each missio… more
Date: July 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Drug Control: U.S. Nonmilitary Assistance to Colombia Is Beginning to Show Intended Results, but Programs Are Not Readily Sustainable

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2000, the U.S. government has provided a total of $3.3 billion to Colombia, making it the fifth largest recipient of U.S. assistance. Part of this funding has gone toward nonmilitary assistance to Colombia, including programs to (1) promote legitimate economic alternatives to coca and opium poppy; (2) assist Colombia's vulnerable groups, particularly internally displaced persons; and (3) strengthe… more
Date: July 2, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration: More Effort Needed to Assess Consistency of Disability Decisions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, about 2.5 million people file claims with the Social Security Administration (SSA) for disability benefits. If the claim is denied at the initial level, the claimant may appeal to the hearings level. The hearings level has allowed more than half of all appealed claims, an allowance rate that has raised concerns about the consistency of decisions made at the two levels. To help ensure consiste… more
Date: July 2, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Health Care: Guidance Needed for Determining the Cost to Collect from Veterans and Private Health Insurers

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During a May 2003 congressional hearing, questions were raised about the accuracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) reported costs for collecting payments from veterans and private health insurers for its Medical Care Collections Fund (MCCF). Congress also had questions about VA's practice of using third-party collections to satisfy veterans' first-party debt. GAO's objectives were to determin… more
Date: July 21, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Securities And Exchange Commission: Review of Fiscal Year 2003 and 2004 Budget Allocations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to a statement in the Conference Report on the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) fiscal year 2004 appropriations directing GAO to study SEC's allocation of its increased funding for fiscal years 2003 and 2004. Historically, SEC has faced high staff turnover rates, long stretches of unfilled staff positions, and growing resource needs. Additionally, the agency has faced sign… more
Date: July 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Maritime Security: Partnering Could Reduce Federal Costs and Facilitate Implementation of Automatic Vessel Identification System

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As part of international efforts to ensure maritime safety and security--and to carry out its mandates under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002--the U.S. Coast Guard is developing an automatic identification system (AIS) that should enable it to monitor ships traveling to and through U.S. waters. For AIS to operate nationwide, ships need equipment to transmit and receive AIS signals, and t… more
Date: July 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Safety: Better Management Controls are Needed to Improve FAA's Safety Enforcement and Compliance Efforts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The safety of the nation's flying public depends, in large part, on the aviation industry's compliance with safety regulations and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) enforcement of those regulations when violations occur. FAA attempts to gain the industry's compliance through enforcement tools, including levying fines and suspending or revoking operating certificates, and partnership programs t… more
Date: July 6, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Operations: Fiscal Year 2004 Costs for the Global War on Terrorism Will Exceed Supplemental, Requiring DOD to Shift Funds from Other Uses

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To support the Global War on Terrorism in fiscal year 2004, the Congress appropriated $65 billion to the Department of Defense (DOD) in an emergency supplemental appropriations act. To assist the Congress in its oversight role, GAO reviewed (1) the adequacy of current funding for fiscal year 2004 war-related activities and (2) actions DOD is undertaking to cover anticipated shortfalls, if any. Based on … more
Date: July 21, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Chief Information Officers: Responsibilities, Reporting Relationships, Tenure, and Challenges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Although the federal government has invested substantially in information technology (IT), its success in managing information resources has varied. Agencies have taken steps to implement modern strategies, systems, and management policies and practices, but they still face significant information and technology management challenges. Recognizing the key role of the chief information officer (CIO) in he… more
Date: July 21, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: The Global Information Grid and Challenges Facing Its Implementation

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) is in the midst of transforming military capabilities. The transformation relies in part on the Global Information Grid (GIG), which is focused on building a new Internet-like network capability that DOD envisions will enable weapons and other systems and people to share information quickly, allowing warfighters to identify threats more effectively and to respond with gre… more
Date: July 28, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Natural Gas Flaring and Venting: Opportunities to Improve Data and Reduce Emissions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1995, the average price of natural gas in the United States has almost tripled as demand has grown faster than supply. Despite this increase, natural gas is regularly lost as it is burned (flared) and released into the atmosphere (vented) during the production of oil and gas. GAO was asked to (1) describe flaring and venting data and what the federal government could do to improve them; (2) report… more
Date: July 14, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mutual Funds: SEC Should Modify Proposed Regulations to Address Some Pension Plan Concerns

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Mutual fund investments represent more than 20 percent of Americans' pension plan assets. Since late 2003, two abusive trading practices in mutual funds have come to light. Late trading allowed some investors to illegally place orders for funds after the close of trading. Market timing allowed some investors to take advantage of temporary disparities between the value of a fund and the value of its unde… more
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nursing Home Fire Safety: Recent Fires Highlight Weaknesses in Federal Standards and Oversight

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2003, 31 residents died in nursing home fires in Hartford, Connecticut, and Nashville, Tennessee. Federal fire safety standards enforced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not require either home to have automatic sprinklers even though they have proven very effective in reducing the number of multiple deaths from fires. GAO was asked to report on (1) the rationale for not requ… more
Date: July 16, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Contract Management: Guidance Needed to Promote Competition for Defense Task Orders

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) spends billions of dollars each year acquiring services through task orders issued under multiple-award contracts or the General Services Administration's federal supply schedule program. However, previous GAO and DOD Inspector General reports found that DOD was not obtaining the level of competition on these task orders that Congress had envisioned. Congress responded by… more
Date: July 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bonneville Power Administration: Better Management of BPA's Obligation to Provide Power Is Needed to Control Future Costs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has experienced significant financial problems in recent years. BPA's cash reserves at the end of fiscal year 2002 had fallen to $188 million, and BPA estimated in February 2003 that it had a 74 percent chance of missing its Treasury debt payment that year. While BPA's finances have recently improved, and the agency made its Treasury payment in 2003, BPA's finan… more
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare: CMS Needs Additional Authority to Adequately Oversee Patient Safety in Hospitals

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) are considered in compliance with Medicare participation requirements. GAO examined the extent to which JCAHO's pre-2004 hospital accreditation process identified hospitals not complying with Medicare requirements, the potential of JCAHO's new process for improving the detection of deficiencies in Medicare … more
Date: July 20, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Technology: DOD's Acquisition Policies and Guidance Need to Incorporate Additional Best Practices and Controls

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The way in which the Department of Defense (DOD) has historically acquired its business systems has been cited as a root cause for its limited success in delivering promised system capabilities and benefits on time and within budget. In response, DOD recently revised its systems acquisition policies and guidance to incorporate best practices, including those pertaining to business systems. GAO was asked… more
Date: July 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Special Education: Additional Assistance and Better Coordination Needed among Education Offices to Help States Meet the NCLBA Teacher Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During the 2001-2002 school year, more than 400,000 special education teachers provided instructional services to approximately 6 million students with disabilities in U.S. schools. Two federal laws contain teacher qualification requirements that apply to special education teachers: the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Given the committee's int… more
Date: July 15, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Inventory: Navy Needs to Improve the Management Over Government-Furnished Material Shipped to Its Repair Contractors

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO has reported in a number of products that the lack of control over inventory shipments increases vulnerability to undetected loss or theft and substantially increases the risk that million of dollars can be spent unnecessarily. This report evaluates the Navy's and its repair contractors' adherence to Department of Defense (DOD) and Navy inventory management control procedures for government-furnishe… more
Date: July 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Global Health: U.S. AIDS Coordinator Addressing Some Key Challenges to Expanding Treatment but Others Remain

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), announced January 2003, aims to provide 2 million people with anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment in 14 of the world's most severely affected countries. In May 2003 legislation established the position of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator in the State Department. GAO was asked to (1) identify major challenges to U.S. efforts to expand ARV treatment in … more
Date: July 12, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Peacekeeping: Multinational Force And Observers Maintaining Accountability, but State Department Oversight Could Be Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1982, the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) has monitored compliance with the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace. The United States, while not a party to the treaty, contributes 40 percent of the troops and a third of MFO's annual budget. All personnel in the MFO civilian observer unit (COU) are Americans. GAO (1) assessed State's oversight of the MFO, (2) reviewed M… more
Date: July 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Operations: DOD's Extensive Use of Logistics Support Contracts Requires Strengthened Oversight

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In its contingency operations since the early 1990s, the Department of Defense (DOD) has relied extensively on logistics support contractors to provide many of the supplies and services needed by deployed U.S. forces. As requested, GAO assessed DOD's planning in its use of logistics support contracts in contingency operations; determined whether DOD has had contract oversight processes that are adequate… more
Date: July 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Uranium Enrichment: Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund Is Insufficient to Cover Cleanup Costs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Decontaminating and decommissioning the nation's uranium enrichment plants, which are contaminated with hazardous materials, will cost billions of dollars and could span decades. In 1992, the Energy Policy Act created the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund (Fund) to pay for the plants' cleanup and to reimburse licensees of active uranium and thorium processing sites for part of … more
Date: July 2, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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