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Medicare Part D: Plan Sponsors' Processing and CMS Monitoring of Drug Coverage Requests Could Be Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under the Medicare Part D program, prescription drug coverage is provided through plans sponsored by private companies. Beneficiaries, their appointed representatives, or physicians can ask sponsors to cover prescriptions restricted under their plan--a process known as a coverage determination--and can appeal denials to the sponsor and the independent review entity (IRE). GAO was asked to review (1) the… more
Date: January 22, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Security: Protecting Personally Identifiable Information

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The loss of personally identifiable information can result in substantial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to individuals and may lead to identity theft or other fraudulent use of the information. As shown in prior GAO reports, compromises to such information and long-standing weaknesses in federal information security raise important questions about what steps federal agencies should take to prev… more
Date: January 25, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bilingual Voting Assistance: Selected Jurisdictions' Strategies for Identifying Needs and Providing Assistance

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, contains, among other things, provisions designed to protect the voting rights of U.S. citizens of certain ethnic groups whose command of the English language may be limited. The Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces these provisions, and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) serves as a national clearinghouse for election information and procedures. The Fann… more
Date: January 18, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Forest Service: Better Planning, Guidance, and Data Are Needed to Improve Management of the Competitive Sourcing Program

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Competitive sourcing is aimed at promoting competition between federal employees and the private sector as a way to improve government operations. Key work activities--those that are either inherently governmental or core to the agency's mission--are generally exempt from competitions. In fiscal year 2004, Congress began placing spending limitations on the Forest Service's competitive sourcing program b… more
Date: January 22, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Embassy Security: Upgrades Have Enhanced Security, but Site Conditions Prevent Full Adherence to Standards

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following the 1998 embassy bombings, the Department of State (State) determined that more than 85 percent of diplomatic facilities did not meet security standards and were vulnerable to terrorist attacks. State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has undertaken a program to replace or upgrade the security of these facilities. As of 2007, OBO had constructed more than 50 new embassies and mov… more
Date: January 18, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Office of Personnel Management: Improvements Needed to Ensure Successful Retirement Systems Modernization

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Through its Retirement Systems Modernization (RSM) program, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is modernizing the paper intensive processes and antiquated information systems it uses to support the retirement of civilian federal employees. RSM is intended to deploy new or modified systems beginning in February 2008 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency's retirement program. GAO… more
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bankruptcy and Child Support Enforcement: Improved Information Sharing Possible without Routine Data Matching

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recognizing the importance of child support, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 requires that if a parent with child support obligations files for bankruptcy, a bankruptcy trustee must notify the relevant custodial parent and state child support enforcement agency so that they may participate in the case. The act also required GAO to study the feasibility of matching ban… more
Date: January 23, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State and Local Government Retiree Benefits: Current Funded Status of Pension and Health Benefits

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pension and other retiree benefits for state and local government employees represent liabilities for state and local governments and ultimately a burden for state and local taxpayers. Since 1986, accounting standards have required state and local governments to report their unfunded pension liabilities. Recently, however, standards changed and now call for governments also to report retiree health liab… more
Date: January 29, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Convicted Sex Offenders: Factors That Could Affect the Successful Implementation of Driver's License-Related Processes to Encourage Registration and Enhance Monitoring

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To enhance public safety, all states have laws requiring convicted sex offenders to register with law enforcement authorities. Because ensuring compliance is a challenge, in part because offenders may move frequently, policy makers are considering a role for motor vehicle agencies. In response to section 636 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (the Walsh Act) and as discussed with … more
Date: January 30, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Departmentwide Direction Is Needed for Implementation of the Anti-tamper Policy

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) invests billions of dollars on sophisticated weapon systems and technologies. These may be at risk of exploitation when exported, stolen, or lost during combat or routine missions. In an effort to minimize this risk, DOD developed an anti-tamper policy in 1999, calling for DOD components to implement anti-tamper techniques for critical technologies. In March 2004, GAO rep… more
Date: January 11, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bank Fees: Federal Banking Regulators Could Better Ensure That Consumers Have Required Disclosure Documents Prior to Opening Checking or Savings Accounts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2006, consumers paid over $36 billion in fees associated with checking and savings accounts, raising questions about consumers' awareness of their accounts' terms and conditions. GAO was asked to review (1) trends in the types and amounts of checking and deposit account fees since 2000, (2) how federal banking regulators address such fees in their oversight of depository institutions, and (3) the ext… more
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq Reconstruction: Better Data Needed to Assess Iraq's Budget Execution

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The President's New Way Forward in Iraq identified Iraq's inability to spend its resources to rebuild infrastructure and deliver essential services as a critical economic challenge to Iraq's self-reliance. Further, Iraq's ability to spend its $10.1 billion capital projects budget in 2007 was one of the 18 benchmarks used to assess U.S. progress in stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq. This report (1) examine… more
Date: January 15, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Entitlement Reform Process: Other Countries' Experiences Provide Useful Insights for the United States

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Looking to the future, our nation faces large and growing structural deficits and escalating federal debt due primarily to rising health care costs and known demographic trends. Slowing the growth of entitlements is an essential part of the solution to these challenges. GAO was asked to identify useful insights from the entitlement reform processes in other countries. Specifically, GAO was asked to anal… more
Date: January 18, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: Recent HHS Approvals Continue to Raise Cost and Oversight Concerns

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Medicaid, a joint federal and state program, finances health care for 60 million low-income people. Section 1115 of the Social Security Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain federal Medicaid requirements and allow demonstration projects that are likely to promote Medicaid objectives. Under federal policy, states must show that federal spending for proposed demonstrat… more
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal-Aid Highways: Increased Reliance on Contractors Can Pose Oversight Challenges for Federal and State Officials

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pressure on state and local governments to deliver highway projects and services, and limits on the ability of state departments of transportation (state DOT) to increase staff levels have led those departments to contract out a variety of highway activities to the private sector. As requested, this report addresses (1) recent trends in the contracting of state highway activities, (2) factors that influ… more
Date: January 8, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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HUD and Treasury Programs: More Information on Leverage Measures' Accuracy and Linkage to Program Goals Is Needed in Assessing Performance

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This is the second of two reports on the leveraging of federal funds in housing and community and economic development programs. Leveraging involves using a source of funds to attract other funds or combining multiple sources of funds. This report examines (1) the leverage measures and the transparency of the data and methods used to calculate them, and (2) the relevance of such measures in assessing pe… more
Date: January 18, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Security: IRS Needs to Address Pervasive Weaknesses

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) relies extensively on computerized systems to carry out its demanding responsibilities to collect taxes (about $2.7 trillion in fiscal year 2007), process tax returns, and enforce the nation's tax laws. Effective information security controls are essential to ensuring that financial and taxpayer information is adequately protected from inadvertent or deliberate misuse,… more
Date: January 8, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Freight Transportation: National Policy and Strategies Can Help Improve Freight Mobility

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Continued development and efficient performance of the nation's freight transportation system is vital to maintaining a strong U.S. economy and sustaining our nation's competitive position in the global economy. Yet, increasing congestion on our nation's roads and rail lines threatens to undermine the efficiency of our freight transportation system. Although the Department of Transportation (DOT) has ta… more
Date: January 7, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Directives: Selected Agencies' Processes for Responding to Funding Instructions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In recent years, congressional concern and public debate have increased about the nature and growing number of earmarks. This report seeks to provide Congress and the public with an understanding of how agencies respond to congressional funding directions by examining how selected executive branch agencies translate these directions from Congress into governmental activities. There have been numerous ca… more
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Supplemental Appropriations: Opportunities Exist to Increase Transparency and Provide Additional Controls

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Supplemental appropriations laws (supplementals) are a tool for policymakers to address needs that arise after the fiscal year has begun. Supplementals provide important and necessary flexibility but some have questioned whether supplementals are used just to meet the needs of unforeseen events or whether they also include funding for activities that could be covered in regular appropriations acts. GAO … more
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hedge Funds: Regulators and Market Participants Are Taking Steps to Strengthen Market Discipline, but Continued Attention Is Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the 1998 near collapse of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM), a large hedge fund--a pooled investment vehicle that is privately managed and often engages in active trading of various types of securities and commodity futures and options--the number of hedge funds has grown, and they have attracted investments from institutional investors such as pension plans. Hedge funds generally are recognized… more
Date: January 24, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Contracting: Contract Risk a Key Factor in Assessing Excessive Pass-Through Charges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "One-third of the Department of Defense's (DOD) fiscal year 2006 spending on goods and services was for subcontracts. Concerns have been raised among DOD auditors and Congress about the potential for excessive pass- through charges by contractors that add little or no value when work is subcontracted. To better understand this risk, Congress mandated that GAO assess the extent to which DOD may be vulnera… more
Date: January 25, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Weather: FAA Is Reevaluating Services at Key Centers; Both FAA and the National Weather Service Need to Better Ensure Product Quality

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Weather Service's (NWS) weather products are a vital component of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control system. In addition to providing aviation weather products developed at its own facilities, NWS also provides staff on-site at each of FAA's en route centers. This group of NWS meteorologists--called a center weather service unit--provides air traffic managers wi… more
Date: January 11, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Real Property: Strategy Needed to Address Agencies' Long-standing Reliance on Costly Leasing

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In January 2003, GAO designated federal real property as a high-risk area, citing the government's overreliance on costly, long-term leasing as one of the major reasons. GAO's work over the years has shown that building ownership often costs less than operating leases, especially for long-term space needs. GAO was asked to identify (1) the profile of domestically held, federally leased space including t… more
Date: January 24, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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