Resource Type
Collection
Country
States
Decade
Month
Day
1,045 Matching Results
Results open in a new window/tab.
Veterans' Disability Benefits: Claims Processing Challenges and Opportunities for Improvements
A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, asked GAO to report on the claims processing challenges and opportunities facing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation and pension program. For years, the claims process has been the subject of concern and attention within VA and by the Congress and veterans service organizations. Their concerns include long waits for decisions, large claims backlogs, and inaccurate decisions. Our work and media reports of significant discrepancies in average disability payments from state to state have also highlighted concerns over the consistency of decision making within VA. In January 2003, we designated federal disability programs, including VA's compensation and pension programs, as a high-risk area because of continuing challenges to improving the timeliness and consistency of its disability decisions and the need to modernize programs. VA's outdated disability determination process does not reflect a current view of the relationship between impairments and work capacity. Advances in medicine and technology have allowed some individuals with disabilities to live more independently and work more effectively."
Date:
December 7, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Contract Management: DOD Vulnerabilities to Contracting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In recent years, the Department of Defense (DOD) has increasingly relied on goods and services provided by the private sector under contract. Since fiscal year 2000, DOD's contracting for goods and services has nearly doubled, and this trend is expected to continue. In fiscal year 2005 alone, DOD obligated nearly $270 billion on contracts for goods and services. Given the magnitude of the dollar amounts involved, it is essential that DOD acquisitions be handled in an efficient, effective, and accountable manner. In other words, DOD needs to ensure that it buys the right things, the right way. Enacted January 6, 2006, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 required us to review DOD's efforts to identify and assess the vulnerability of its contracts to fraud, waste, and abuse. We reviewed the areas of vulnerability that DOD faces with regard to contracting fraud, waste, and abuse, and the recent initiatives that DOD has taken to address these vulnerabilities, including actions DOD has taken in response to a March 2005 Defense Science Board report on management oversight in acquisition organizations."
Date:
July 7, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Space Surveillance Network: New Way Proposed To Support Commercial and Foreign Entities
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Government, commercial, and foreign entities rely almost exclusively on information generated by the United States space surveillance network to reduce the risk of space collisions when launching and operating their respective space missions. The network is maintained and operated by the Air Force Space Command; surveillance data is processed and an unclassified portion is sent to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and made available to users. Currently, the Air Force Space Command is proposing a pilot study to replace the current NASA arrangement with one using a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). The study would test the FFRDC's ability to support commercial and foreign entities with space surveillance information and to ensure there is a sufficient market for the data. If the study is approved by the Air Force and Department of Defense, and if authorizing legislation is enacted that includes providing space surveillance support to foreign and commercial entities as part of DOD's mission, the study will begin in about 1 year."
Date:
June 7, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Report for the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., for Fiscal Year 2001
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. for fiscal year 2001. GAO did not review the auditors' working papers, and therefore did not render an opinion."
Date:
August 7, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Audit Reports for The Foundation of the Federal Bar Association for Fiscal Years 2001 and 2000
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of The Foundation of the Federal Bar Association, for fiscal years 2001 and 2000. GAO found no instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."
Date:
August 7, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Childhood Obesity: Most Experts Identified Physical Activity and the Use of Best Practices as Key to Successful Programs
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the past 30 years, the number of obese children has increased throughout the United States, leading some policy makers to rank childhood obesity as a critical public health threat. The rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled for children between the ages of 6 and 11 and also increased for children of other ages over the same period. According to a 2005 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, there are approximately 9 million children nationwide over the age of 6 who are considered obese. An important consequence of childhood obesity is the increasing number of children experiencing illnesses and other health problems associated with obesity, such as hypertension and type II diabetes. The rise in obesity-related health conditions also introduces added economic costs. Between 1979 and 1999, obesity-associated hospital costs for children between the ages of 6 and 17 more than tripled, from $35 million to $127 million. Moreover, because studies suggest that obese children are likely to become overweight or obese adults--particularly if the children are obese during adolescence--the increase in the number of obese children may also contribute to health care expenditures when they become …
Date:
October 7, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Internal Controls: Disbursement Processing Controls Need Improvement
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Financial Management Service's (FMS) controls over safeguarding of assets and documenting disbursements and reconciliation of reports as well as the results of previously suggested improvements."
Date:
August 7, 2000
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Civil Rights: Additional Actions in Pigford II Claims Process Could Reduce Risk of Improper Determinations
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date:
December 7, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the U.S. Government Accountability Offices (GAO) budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2013. GAO very much appreciates the confidence Congress has shown in the efforts to help support the Congress in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve government performance and accountability for the benefit of the American people."
Date:
February 7, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Report for the Former Members of Congress for Fiscal Year 2004
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of Former Members of Congress for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditor's opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles."
Date:
July 7, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Defense Trade: Arms Export Control Vulnerabilities and Inefficiencies in the Post-9/11 Security Environment
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent global war on terror, the nature of threats facing this country has changed, and as a result, policies and structures from previous decades need to be rethought. One area for reexamination in this changed security environment is the arms export control system. The State Department oversees this system to ensure that arms exports are consistent with U.S. national security and foreign policy goals. As such, the State Department is responsible for authorizing arms exports, which is generally done through export licensing, and for monitoring exporter compliance with governing laws and regulations. In so doing, the department needs to balance complex and competing interests. Specifically, the State Department must limit the possibility that exports will erode the U.S. military's technological advantage and prevent U.S. arms from falling into the wrong hands. At the same time, the department needs to allow legitimate defense trade with allies to occur. At a Congressional request, we are providing highlights from our most recent report on the arms export control system and observations regarding weaknesses and inefficiencies in the system based on …
Date:
April 7, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
2000 Census: Information on Short- and Long-Form Response Rates
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on short- and long-form questionnaire response rates, focusing on the: (1) 2000 Census; (2) 1998 Census Dress Rehearsal; (3) 1990 Census; and (4) 1988 Census Dress Rehearsal."
Date:
June 7, 2000
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Fiscal Year 2012 Agreed-Upon Procedures: Excise Tax Distributions to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and the Highway Trust Fund
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date:
November 7, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Military Housing: Opportunity for Reducing Planned Military Construction Costs for Barracks
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "We are reviewing the Department of Defense's (DOD) management of its unaccompanied enlisted permanent party housing, commonly referred to as barracks for unmarried servicemembers. We understand that over the next few years the services plan to eliminate barracks with gang latrines and provide private sleeping rooms (meet DOD's 1+1 barracks design standard) for all permanent party servicemembers. The Navy has an additional goal to provide barracks for sailors who currently live aboard ships when in homeport. To implement these goals, the services plan to spend about $6 billion over the next 7 years to construct new barracks. In addition to reviewing the services' plans and exploring opportunities for reducing costs, one of our objectives is to assess the consistency of and the rationale behind the services' barracks occupancy requirements. While we expect to complete our review of DOD's management of military barracks early in 2003, the purpose of this interim report is to bring to the attention Secretary of Defense the widely varying standards among the services regarding who should live in barracks, the effect this can have on program costs and quality of life, and the apparently …
Date:
January 7, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security Grants: Observations on Process DHS Used to Allocate Funds to Selected Urban Areas
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided approximately $1.7 billion in federal funding to states, localities, and territories through its Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism or other catastrophic events. The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) is a discretionary grant under this program, and since fiscal year 2003, Congress has directed DHS to target UASI funding to high-threat, high-density urban areas to assist in building capacity. To meet this requirement and inform funding decisions, DHS developed a method to estimate the relative risk of terrorist attacks to urban areas. From fiscal year 2003 through 2005, DHS used a number of risk indicators such as population density and threat to allocate UASI funds. UASI funding increased during this period from about $96 million to $830 million, while the number of urban areas that received grants grew from 7 to 43. In fiscal year 2006, DHS awarded approximately $711 million in UASI grants--a 14 percent reduction in funds from the previous year--while the number of eligible urban areas identified by the risk assessment decreased to …
Date:
February 7, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Audit Report for the Women's Army Corps Veterans Association for Fiscal Year 1998
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of the Women's Army Corps Veterans Association for the fiscal year June 30, 1998, focusing on whether the audit report complied with the financial reporting requirements of the law."
Date:
May 7, 1999
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Audit Reports for the Jewish War Veterans, U.S.A., National Memorial, Incorporated, for Fiscal Year 2001
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "We reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, National Memorial Inc., for fiscal year 2001. GAO's review disclosed no reportable instances of noncompliance with the financial reporting requirements of the law. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."
Date:
August 7, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Security: Opportunities Exist to Further Clarify the Consequences of a Liquefied Natural Gas Tanker Spill
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a supercooled liquid form of natural gas. U.S. LNG imports are projected to increase to about 17 percent of natural gas supplies by 2030, from about 3 percent today. To meet this increase, energy companies have submitted 32 applications for new terminals. If a terrorist attack on an LNG tanker caused a spill, potential hazards, such as fire, asphyxiation, and explosions, could result. The Department of Energy (DOE) recently funded a study to conduct small- and large-scale experiments to refine and validate models that calculate how heat from large LNG fires would affect the public. This testimony is based on GAO's report, Maritime Security: Public Safety Consequences of a Terrorist Attack on a Tanker Carrying Liquefied Natural Gas Need Clarification (GAO-07-316). To prepare this report, GAO examined the results of six recent studies on the effects of an LNG spill and convened a panel of 19 experts to identify areas of agreement on the consequences of a terrorist attack on an LNG tanker."
Date:
May 7, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Improvements Needed to More Accurately Identify and Better Oversee Risky Projects Totaling Billions of Dollars
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plays a key role in overseeing federal IT investments. The Clinger-Cohen Act, among other things, requires OMB to establish processes to analyze, track, and evaluate the risks and results of major capital investments in information systems made by agencies and to report to Congress on the net program performance benefits achieved as a result of these investments. OMB has developed several processes to help carry out its role. For example, OMB began using a Management Watch List several years ago as a means of identifying poorly planned projects based on its evaluation of agencies' funding justifications for major projects, known as exhibit 300s. In addition, in August 2005, OMB established a process for agencies to identify high risk projects, i.e., projects requiring special attention because of one or more reasons specified by OMB, and to report on those that are poorly performing or not meeting performance criteria. GAO recently issued reports on the Management Watch List, high risk projects, and agencies' exhibit 300s. GAO was asked to summarize (1) the number of projects and the fiscal year 2007 dollar value of …
Date:
September 7, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Prescription Drugs: Trends in Usual and Customary Prices for Drugs Frequently Used by Medicare and Non-Medicare Health Insurance Enrollees
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Prescription drug spending as a share of national health expenditures increased from 8.9 percent in 2000 to 10.1 percent in 2005--among the fastest growing segments of health care expenditures--and prescription drug prices outpaced inflation during the same period. Rising prescription drug prices can affect consumers, employers, and federal and state governments. Federal policymakers are particularly concerned about rising drug prices as the federal government has assumed greater financial responsibility for prescription drug expenditures with the introduction of a prescription drug benefit to Medicare enrollees in January 2006, known as Medicare Part D. Medicare enrollees are also responsible for a share of drug costs under the Medicare Part D program. As an update to our 2005 report, this report responds to the request from Congress for information on trends in retail prices--known as usual and customary prices--for prescription drugs frequently used by Medicare enrollees and non-Medicare health insurance enrollees. This report focuses on (1) usual and customary price trends from January 2004 through January 2007, and (2) usual and customary price trends from January 2000 through January 2007 for the subset of drugs that were included in both our …
Date:
September 7, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Medicaid Program Integrity: Expanded Federal Role Presents Challenges to and Opportunities for Assisting States
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees Medicaid, estimated that improper payments in the federal-state Medicaid program were $21.9 billion in fiscal year 2011. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 established the Medicaid Integrity Program and gave CMS an expanded role in assisting and improving the effectiveness of state activities to ensure proper payments. Making effective use of this expanded role, however, requires that federal resources are targeted appropriately and do not duplicate state activities. GAO was asked to testify on Medicaid program integrity. GAO's statement focuses on how CMS's expanded role in ensuring Medicaid program integrity (1) poses a challenge because of overlapping state and federal activities regarding provider audits and (2) presents opportunities through oversight to enhance state program integrity efforts. To do this work, GAO reviewed CMS reports and documents on Medicaid program integrity as well as its own and others' reports on this topic. In particular, GAO reviewed CMS reports that documented the results of its state oversight and monitoring activities. GAO also interviewed CMS officials in the agency's Medicaid Integrity Group (MIG), which was established to implement …
Date:
December 7, 2011
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Contract Management: Roles and Responsibilities of the Federal Supply Service and Federal Technology Service
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the roles and responsibilities of the General Services Administration's (GSA) Federal Supply Service (FSS) and Federal Technology Service (FTS). Specifically, (1) the possible impact of the current FSS/FTS overlap on the prices paid for and quality of the services provided customer agencies by FSS and FTS, (2) whether the use of streamlined practices and procedures could result in savings and increases in service effectiveness, and (3) whether the statement of work that governs the study of the FSS and FTS that GSA has under contract will likely result in the kind of information needed to assess whether the current organization needs to be restructured."
Date:
June 7, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
LOCAL Television Act: Status of Spending for Fiscal Year 2005
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In December 2000, the Congress passed the Launching Our Communities' Access to Local Television Act of 2000 (LOCAL TV Act). The act created the Local Television Loan Guarantee Program and established the LOCAL Television Loan Guarantee Board to finance projects to provide access to signals of local television stations to households in areas with limited or no access to such signals from a commercial, for-profit satellite service or other multichannel video provider. The program authorizes the board to approve loan guarantees up to 80 percent of loans, totaling no more than $1.25 billion in aggregate; however, since inception of the program, no loan guarantees have been approved and the program has not been utilized. Section 1006 of the act requires that we perform an annual audit of the (1) administration of the provisions of the act and (2) financial position of each applicant who receives a loan guarantee under the act, including the nature, amount, and purpose of investments made by the applicant. In April 2005, we issued our required annual report covering fiscal year 2004. Since there continue to be no loan guarantee recipients for GAO to …
Date:
July 7, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Warfighter Support: DOD Has Made Progress, but Supply and Distribution Challenges Remain in Afghanistan
A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2010, the Department of Defense (DOD) spent billions of dollars to move troops and materiel into Afghanistan, a mountainous, land-locked country with poorly developed infrastructure. The increase of 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan as of August 2010, along with thousands of civilians and contractors supporting U.S. efforts, have required further development of DOD's already-complex distribution network to support and sustain U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. GAO conducted this review to assess distribution issues in Afghanistan, including (1) DOD's oversight of distribution operations; (2) DOD's performance in providing supplies and equipment; and (3) challenges that have affected DOD's ability to provide supplies and equipment. GAO reviewed joint doctrine and DOD policies on distribution, analyzed DOD delivery data, and interviewed DOD officials in the United States and in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain."
Date:
October 7, 2011
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library