Member-only story

Medicare Should Expand Oversight Efforts To Reduce The Risk Of Harm Gao Dhhs

Beau Carter

·5.5k Followers· Follow

Published in PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS: Medicare Should Expand Oversight Efforts To Reduce The Risk Of Harm (GAO DHHS)

4 min read · 3 weeks before

916 View Claps

60 Respond

Save

Listen

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that Medicare needs to do more to protect its beneficiaries from harm. The report, which was requested by Congress, found that Medicare's current oversight efforts are not sufficient to identify and prevent all types of harm, and that the program lacks the authority to take strong enough action against providers who put beneficiaries at risk.

PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS: Medicare Should Expand Oversight Efforts to Reduce the Risk of Harm (GAO - DHHS)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1319 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	24 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

The GAO's findings are concerning, and they highlight the need for Medicare to take steps to improve its oversight efforts. The report makes a number of recommendations for how Medicare can do this, including:

Expanding the scope of Medicare's oversight activities to include more types of harm, such as medication errors and hospital-acquired infections
Strengthening Medicare's authority to take action against providers who put beneficiaries at risk, such as suspending or revoking their Medicare billing privileges
Increasing the number of Medicare staff dedicated to oversight activities
Improving Medicare's data collection and analysis capabilities to better identify and track instances of harm

The GAO's recommendations are a good starting point for Medicare to improve its oversight efforts. However, it is important to note that these recommendations will only be effective if Medicare is willing to commit the necessary resources to implement them. Medicare has a responsibility to protect its beneficiaries from harm, and it must do more to ensure that this responsibility is being met.

In addition to the GAO's recommendations, there are a number of other steps that Medicare can take to improve its oversight efforts. These include:

Working with providers to develop and implement best practices for patient safety
Educating beneficiaries about their rights and responsibilities under Medicare
Empowering beneficiaries to report instances of harm

By taking these steps, Medicare can help to reduce the risk of harm to its beneficiaries and ensure that they receive the high-quality care that they deserve.

Medicare is a vital program that provides health insurance to millions of Americans. However, the program has been criticized for its lack of oversight, which has put beneficiaries at risk of harm. A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that Medicare needs to do more to protect its beneficiaries, and it makes a number of recommendations for how the program can do this. Medicare should implement the GAO's recommendations and take other steps to improve its oversight efforts. By ng so, Medicare can help to reduce the risk of harm to its beneficiaries and ensure that they receive the high-quality care that they deserve.

PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS: Medicare Should Expand Oversight Efforts to Reduce the Risk of Harm (GAO - DHHS)

5 out of 5