COMMITTEE PRINT

1st Session

REPORT BASED ON HEARINGS

AND INQUIRIES

CONDUCTED ON
PART B, MEDICARE PROGRAM
FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA

PREPARED BY THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL SPENDING
PRACTICES, EFFICIENCY, AND OPEN GOVERNMENT

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

UNITED STATES SENATE

SEPTEMBER 1975

Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Operations

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

ABRAHAM RIBICOFF, Connecticut, Chairman JOHN L. MCCLELLAN, Arkansas

CHARLES H. PERCY, Illinois HENRY M. JACKSON, Washington

JACOB K. JAVITS, New York EDMUND S. MUSKIE, Maine

WILLIAM V. ROTH, JR., Delaware LEE METCALF, Montana

BILL BROCK, Tennessee JAMES B. ALLEN, Alabama

LOWELL P. WEICKER, JR., Connecticut LAWTON CHILES, Florida SAM NUNN, Georgia JOHN GLENN, Ohio

RICHARD A. WEGMAN, Chief Counsel and Staff Director

PAUL HOFF, Counsel
PAUL L. LEVENTHAL, Counsel

ELI E. NOBLEMAN, Counsel
DAVID B. SCHAEFER, Counsel

MATTHEW SCHNEIDER, Counsel
JOHN B. CHILDERS, Chief Counsel to the Minority
BRIAN CONBOY, Special Counsel to the Minority

MARILYN A. HARRIS, Chief Clerk
ELIZABETH A. PREAST, Assistant Chief Clerk

HAROLD C. ANDERSON, Staff Editor

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL SPENDING PRACTICES, EFFICIENCY, AND OPEN

GOVERNMENT

LAWTON CHILES, Florida, Chairman SAM NUNN, Georgia

LOWELL P. WEICKER, JR., Counecticut LEE METCALF, Montana

WILLIAM V. ROTH, JR., Delaware JAMES B. ALLEN, Alabama

BILL BROCK, Tennessee JOHN GLENN, Ohio

LESTER A. FETTIG, Chief Counsel and Staff Director

RONALD A. CHIODO, Counsel
ROBERT E. COAKLEY, Counsel

EDWARD L. BROWN, Counsel
CLAUDIA T. INGRAM, Minority Counsel
DOUGLAS M. CUTLER, Minority Counsel

ROBERT F. HARRIS, Chief Clerk
CHRISTINE SHERIDAN, Assistant Chief Clerk

DEBRA P. ALTMAN, Clerical Assistant

(II)

Letter of Transmittal

Hon. ABRAHAM RIBICOFF,
Chairman, Committee on Government Operations,
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. CHAIRMAN: The Subcommittee on Federal Spending
Practices, Efficiency, and Open Government of the Government Opera-
tions Committee, conducted investigations and inquiries into the
inefficiencies of the Medicare Part B Program particularly in the State
of Florida.

It was our desire to use the Florida situation as a case study to provide valuable insight on the problems faced by recipients and also to gain as much information as possible concerning the causes for the highly documented delays in payments to clients.

Submitted herein are the fruits of the labor of the subcommittee's initial investigation into the problems and concerns of the program.

I feel, as I'm sure all Senators feel, that the elderly who are in the program, should be promptly reimbursed for their expenditures. Some delays are going to occur as a natural by-product of conducting business.

The subcommittee's investigation was primarily concerned with the abnormal delays that came about because of administrative inefficiencies and those items that we felt could surely be improved.

In anticipation of further congressional action in this matter, I am hereby transmitting for publication as a committee print the report by the subcommittee on the Part B, Medicare Program.

ED OPEN

necticut

Sincerely,

LAWTON CHILES, Chairman.

(III)