Indian Health Service (IHS), anagency in the Department of Healthand Human Services (HHS), provideshealth care to American Indians andAlaska Natives. When care at an IHSfundedfacility is unavailable, IHS'scontract health services (CHS)program pays for care from externalproviders if the patient meets certainrequirements and funding is available.The Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act requires GAO to study theadequacy of federal funding for IHS'sCHS program. To examine programfunding needs, IHS collects data onunfunded services-services for whichfunding was not available-from thefederal and tribal CHS programs. GAOexamined (1) the extent to which IHSensures the data it collects onunfunded services are accurate todetermine a reliable estimate of CHSprogram need, (2) the extent to whichfederal and tribal CHS programs reporthaving funds available to pay forcontract health services, and (3) theexperiences of external providers inobtaining payment from the CHSprogram. GAO surveyed 66 federaland 177 tribal CHS programs andspoke to IHS officials and 23 providers.
- | Author: U.s. Government Accountability Office
- | Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- | Publication Date: Aug 17, 2017
- | Number of Pages: 58 pages
- | Language: English
- | Binding: Paperback
- | ISBN-10: 1974645681
- | ISBN-13: 9781974645688
