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Department of Energy: Progress Made Overseeing the Costs of Contractor Postretirement Benefits, but Additional Actions Could Help Address Challenges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy (DOE) relies on contractors to conduct its mission activities. DOE reimburses these contractors for allowable costs, including the costs of providing pension and other postretirement benefits, such as retiree health care plans. Since the economic downturn, DOE has had to devote significantly more funding toward reimbursing these benefit costs, in part because of a decline in int… more
Date: April 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare Integrity Program: CMS Used Increased Funding for New Activities but Could Improve Measurement of Program Effectiveness

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare program makes about $500 billion in payments per year and continues to have a significant amount of improper payments--almost $48 billion in fiscal year 2010. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Medicare Integrity Program (MIP) is designed to identify and address fraud, waste, and abuse, which are all causes of improper payments. MIP's authorizing legislation provided fundin… more
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Veterans Health Care: Monitoring Is Needed to Determine the Accuracy of Veteran Copayment Charges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) billed veterans millions of medical copayment charges totaling more than $1 billon. Witnesses at a 2009 Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, hearing raised concerns about inappropriate copayment charges, including some associated with veterans' service-connected conditions. As a re… more
Date: August 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Health Insurance: Early Experiences Implementing New Medical Loss Ratio Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To help ensure that Americans receive value for their premium dollars, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) established minimum "medical loss ratio" (MLR) standards for health insurers. The MLR is a basic financial indicator, traditionally referring to the percentage of premiums spent on medical claims. The PPACA MLR is defined differently from the traditional MLR. Beginning in 2011, i… more
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: Program Planning and Reporting

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. assistance through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has helped provide treatment, care, and prevention services overseas to millions affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2008, Congress reauthorized PEPFAR with the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (2008 Leadership Act). The act requires the… more
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Health Care: Need for More Transparency in New Resource Allocation Process and for Written Policies on Monitoring Resources

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Through fiscal year 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) permitted its 21 health care networks to develop their own methodologies for allocating resources to medical centers. These methodologies varied considerably. Concerned that network methodologies were not fully transparent to VA headquarters, in fiscal year 2011, VA implemented a new single process for all networks to use to determine all… more
Date: April 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Technology Assessment: Neutron Detectors: Alternatives to Using Helium-3

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Neutron detectors are used to detect neutron radiation in science, security, and other applications. For example, large-area detectors detect neutrons at science facilities across the world and radiation portal monitors screen vehicles and cargo at ports and border crossings for nuclear material that terrorists could use in a nuclear weapon. Helium-3 is a critical component of such neutron detectors, an… more
Date: September 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Foreign Assistance: The United States Provides Wide-ranging Trade Capacity Building Assistance, but Better Reporting and Evaluation Are Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From 2005 to 2010, 24 U.S. agencies provided more than $9 billion in trade capacity building (TCB) assistance to help more than 100 countries reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and achieve stability through trade. To report on TCB funding, the U.S. government conducts an annual survey of agencies and publicly reports the data in a TCB database administered by the U.S. Agency for International Dev… more
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Technology: OMB Needs to Improve Its Guidance on IT Investments

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government invests heavily in information technology (IT). In recent years, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has made efforts to improve the transparency, oversight, and management of the federal government's IT investments. More recently, in June 2009, OMB deployed the IT Dashboard, a Web-based system that provides detailed performance information on federal IT investments. GAO was… more
Date: September 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Veterans Disability Benefits: Clearer Information for Veterans and Additional Performance Measures Could Improve Appeal Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has struggled to provide timely reviews for veterans who appeal decisions on their disability compensation claims. A veteran appeals to the VA regional office that made the initial decision, and if still dissatisfied, to the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board). An appeal to the Board adds more than 2 years, on average, to the wait for a decision on the appeal. To re… more
Date: September 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This is GAO's ninth annual assessment of Department of Defense (DOD) weapon system acquisitions, an area that is on GAO's high-risk list. The report is in response to the mandate in the joint explanatory statement to the DOD Appropriations Act, 2009. It includes observations on the performance of DOD's 2010 portfolio of 98 major defense acquisition programs; data on selected factors that can affect prog… more
Date: March 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2011 Tax Filing: IRS Dealt with Challenges to Date but Needs Additional Authority to Verify Compliance

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Every tax filing season is a large-scale undertaking during which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interacts with taxpayers by processing returns, issuing refunds, answering telephone calls, and providing other services, both face-to-face and on its Web site. As part of processing returns and before refunds are issued, IRS uses its statutory authority to automatically correct errors. This allows IRS t… more
Date: March 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Task Force For Business and Stability Operations: Actions Needed to Establish Project Management Guidelines and Enhance Information Sharing

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Departments of Defense (DOD) and State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and others are involved in economic development activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. In June 2006, DOD established the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (Task Force) to support its related efforts. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2011 required that DOD,… more
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Recovery Act: Funding Used for Transportation Infrastructure Projects, but Some Requirements Proved Challenging

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to two GAO mandates under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). It is the latest report on the uses of and accountability for Recovery Act funds in selected states and localities, focusing on the $48.1 billion provided to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to invest in transportation infrastructure. This report also examines the quality of recipients… more
Date: June 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Recovery Act: Funds Supported Many Water Projects, and Federal and State Monitoring Shows Few Compliance Problems

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided $4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and $2 billion for the agency's Drinking Water SRF. The Recovery Act requires GAO to review funds made available under the act and comment on recipients' reports of jobs created and retained. These jobs are reported as full-time equi… more
Date: June 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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National Export Initiative: U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Should Improve Performance and Resource Allocation Management

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recognizing the potential of increased exports to drive economic growth and create jobs, President Obama in 2010 launched the National Export Initiative (NEI), aimed at doubling the dollar value of U.S. exports by the end of 2014. As requested, GAO examined the extent to which (1) the goals and activities of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS) support the NEI, (2) CS performance measures accura… more
Date: September 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity Human Capital: Initiatives Need Better Planning and Coordination

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Threats to federal information technology (IT) infrastructure and systems continue to grow in number and sophistication. The ability to make federal IT infrastructure and systems secure depends on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the federal and contractor workforce that implements and maintains these systems. In light of the importance of recruiting and retaining cybersecurity personnel, GAO was… more
Date: November 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Health Insurance: State Oversight of Premium Rates

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "With premiums increasing for private health insurance, questions have been raised about the extent to which increases are justified. Oversight of the private health insurance industry is primarily the responsibility of states. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to assist states in their oversight of premium r… more
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Postal Service: Ending Saturday Delivery Would Reduce Costs, but Comprehensive Restructuring Is Also Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) financial outlook has deteriorated as customers have shifted to electronic alternatives. Mail volumes have declined over 20 percent since fiscal year 2006 and are expected to continue declining. To help its financial outlook, in March 2010, USPS presented a detailed proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to move from a 6-day to a 5-day delivery schedule. USPS… more
Date: March 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: IRS Should Expand Its Strategic Approach to Implementation

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report discusses the briefing we gave on June 8, 2011, as well as subsequent comments from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). We gave this briefing in response to Congressional request that we assess IRS's planning to implement its responsibilities under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The report (1) describes IRS's PPACA responsibilities and effective dates and (2) assesse… more
Date: June 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Defense: Further Actions Needed to Institutionalize Key Business System Modernization Management Controls

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For decades, the Department of Defense (DOD) has been challenged in modernizing its timeworn business systems. Since 1995, GAO has designated DOD's business systems modernization program as high risk. Between 2001 and 2005, GAO reported that the modernization program had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on an enterprise architecture and investment management structures that had limited value. Accor… more
Date: June 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: More Strategic Approach to Contracting Still Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) insures the pension benefits of more than 44 million U.S. workers and retirees in more than 27,500 private defined benefit plans. In response to growing workloads over the last 20 years, PBGC has come to rely heavily on contractors to perform its work. With the influx of plan terminations during the recent economic downturn, GAO was asked to examine: (1) h… more
Date: June 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Higher Education and Disability: Improved Federal Enforcement Needed to Better Protect Students' Rights to Testing Accommodations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Among accommodations requested and granted in the most recent testing year, approximately three-quarters were for extra time, and about half were for applicants with learning disabilities. High school and postsecondary school officials GAO interviewed reported advising students about which accommodations to request and providing documentation to testing companies, such as a student's accommodations hist… more
Date: November 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Libya: Unrest and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses the recent revolution against Libyan ruler Muammar al Qadhafi. Qadhafi's opposition is calling for an end to the authoritarian political system he has controlled in Libya for the last four decades. This report focuses on U.S. military and diplomatic policy regarding this incident and possible future security concerns.
Date: March 29, 2011
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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