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GAO/HEHS-96-159W
Preface
This
monthly
bibliography
lists
the
U.S.
General
Accounting
Office's
(GAO)
recently released
products
on
health,
education,
employment,
social
security,
disability,
welfare,
and
veterans
issues.
To
learn
about
previous
reports,

visiting
our
World Wide
Web
site
at
bttl//wwwtgaog
New
releases
are
highlighted
there
and may
be
downloaded
or
ordered
in
printed
form.
Ordering
products
is easy.
Simply
call
the
number
above
or
fax

to fax
or
mail
us
the
renewal
form
on
the
first
page
of
this
issue.
That
way,
you'll
continue
receiving
this
bibliography
each
month.
Page
s
GAO/HEHS-96159W
New
Releases
Health
Health Insurance:

autologous
bone
marrow
transplantation
(ABMT),
illustrates
the
issues
raised
when
demand
grows
for coverage
of
an
expensive,
new
treatment
before
researchers
conclude
that
it
is
more
effective
than
conventional
treatments.
Many

the
treatment
has
implications
for
patient
care,
costs,
and
the
ability
to
recruit patients
for
randomized
trials
that
would provide
a
more
definitive
assessment
of
the
treatment's
effectiveness.
Education
Public
Education:
Issues

educational
settings.
Some
of
these
programs,
however,
are
subject
to
legal
impediments.
Officials
GAO
talked
to
said
that
such
programs
resulted
in
Page!
4
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
observable
qualitative
differences
in
the

settings
without
subjecting
students
to
gender-based
discrimination
and
that
the
effectiveness
of
single-gender
programs
is questionable.
Proponents
believe,
nonetheless,
that
the
programs ought
to be
available as
tools
for
improving
students'
social
and
academic

system
is
responsible
for
educating
children
of
military
personnel
serving
overseas,
including
children
with
disabilities
who
are
aged
3
through
21.
If
the
DODDS
system
lacks
the
facilities
or
resources

shows
how
much
money
it
actually
spends
on
its
special
education program
or how
much
extra
cost
it
incurs
when
its
schools
cannot
accommodate
special
education
students.
As
a
result,
opportunities
may

Davis-Bacon
Act:
Process
Changes
Could
Raise
Confidence
That
Wage
Rates
Are
Based
on
Accurate;
Data
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-130,
May
31,
1996).
Contact:
Charles
A.
Jeszeck,
(202)
512-7036
The
Davis-Bacon
Act
requires

lead
either
to
excessive
government construction
costs
or
to
large
numbers
of
workers
receiving wages
and
fringe
benefits
that
are
lower
than
required
by
the
law.
Although
Labor
has
made
some
improvements

by
employers
and
make
its
process
for
appealing
wage
determinations
more
accessible
to
all
interested
parties.
Emplovment
Training:
Successful Projects
Share Common
Strategy
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-108,
May
7,
1996).
Testimony
on same
topic
(GAO/T-HEHS-96-127,

prepare
participants
for
sel'-sufficiency.
That
common
strategy-which
resulted
in
placement
rates
of
over
90
percent
for
three
of
the
projects
visited-had
four
key
features:
(1)
ensuring
that
participants
were
committed

teamwork,
and
conflict
resolution) as
part
of
their
training
curriculum;
and
(4)
linking
occupational
skills
training
with
the
local
labor
market
needs.
Pages
6
OAO/HEHS-96-159W
Social
Security,
Disability,
and
Welfare
Public

a
way
to
allow
state
and
local
government
employees
to provide
themselves
with
additional
retirement
income.
Although
457
plans
are
often
the
only
type
of deferred
compensation
plan
available
to
most
state

year,
do
not
index
those
amount
limits
for
inflation,
and
give
participants
limited
pension
portability
if
they
leave
employment
before
retirement.
Amending
section
457
would
be
very
difficult,
however,
because

in
the
design
and
implementation
of
the
Supplemental
Security
Income
and
Disability
Insurance
programs,
little
has
been
done to
identify
and
encourage
the
productive
capacities
of
beneficiaries
who
might
benefit
from

and
expanding
beneficiaries'
work
capacities
and
improving
the
implementation
of
existing
return-to-
work
mechanisms.
For
those
areas
in
which
SSA does
not
have
authority,
the
Commissioner
should
develop
a
legislative
package

Illness
Claims
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-112,
May
28,
1996).
Contact:
Irene
Chu,
(202)
512,7102
As
of
July
1995,
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
had
denied
almost
95
percent
of
the
4,144

about
the
type
of evidence
needed
to
support
claims
that
an
undiagnosable
chronic
disability
developed
within
2
years
of
their
service
in
the
Gulf
War.
But
even
when
VA
followed
appropriate

service-connected
conditions
that
accompanied
their
undiagnosed illness
claims.
Defense
Health
Care:
Medicare
Costs
and
Other
Issues
May
Affect
Uniformed
Services
Treatment
Facilities'
Future
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-124,
May
17,
1996).
Contact:
Daniel
M.

other
federal
heath
care
sources,
such
as
Medicare.
In
fiscal
year
1994,
this
dual
eligibility
caused
more
than
$9.5
million
in
unnecessary
Medicare
costs,
and
the
magnitude
of
the
problem

allowing
the
government
to
block
Medicare
Page
8
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
payments
for
services
USTFs
provide
to
dually
eligible
members
and
requiring
USTF
members
eligible
for
Medicare
to
choose
one
source
of

(202)512-6803
DOD
is
integrating
USTFs-former
Public
Health
Service
hospitals
now
under
civilian
ownership
that
are
part
of
the
Military
Health
Services
System-into
its
nationwide
managed
health
care
initiative,
TRICARE.
Adopting

care
costs.
But
analysis
indicates
the
TRICARE
cost
shares
are
appropriate
and
will
have
no
lasting
negative
financial
effect
on
USTF
operations.
Should
there
be
a financial
impact,
DOD's
current
USTF

or
to
orderproducts.
Or,
to
conduct
your
own
search
via
the Internet,
see
the
instructions
on
page
20.
Health
Psychiatric
Hospital
Oversight
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-132R,
May
24,
1996).
Food
Safety:
Reducing
the

Service's
Commissioned
Corps
(Report,
GAO/GGD-96-55,
May
7,
1996).
FDA
Review
Times
(Testimony,
GAO/T-PEMD-96-9,
May
2,1996).
Health
Care
Fraud:
Information-Sharing
Proposals
to
Improve
Enforcement
Efforts
(Report,
GAO/GGD-96 101,
May
1,
1996).
Medicare

Cancer
(Report,
GAO/:HEHS-96-83,
Apr.
24,
1996).
Older
Americans
Act
Funding
Formula
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-137R,
Apr.
24, 1996).
Page
10
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
District
of
Columbia:
Information
on
Health
Care
Costs (Report,
GAO/AIMD-96-42,
Apr.
22, 1996).
AARP MedigaD

European
Union
Drug
Approval:
Overview
of
New
European
Medicines
Evaluation
Agency
and
Approval Process
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-71,
Apr.
5,
1996).
Medicaid Long-Term Care:
State
Use
of
Assessment
Instruments
in
Care
Planning
(Report,
GAO/PEMD-96-4,
Apr.

Utilization
Expands
While
Program
Controls
Deteriorate
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-16,
Mar.
27,
1996).
Revising Ryan
White
Funding
Formulas (Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-116R,
Mar.
26,
1996).
Regulatory
Compliance
for
NIH
Grantees
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-90R,
Mar.
25,
1996).
FDA

Safety:
Environmental
Oversight
of
Classified
Federal
Research
(Testimony,
GAO/T-RCED-96-99,
Mar.
12,
1996).
Scientific
Research:
Continued
Vigilance
Critical
to
Protecting
Human
Subjects
(Report,
GAO/HEHSr-96-72,
Mar.
8, 1996).
Testimony
on
same
topic
(GAO/T-HEHS-96-102,

(Testimony,
GAO/T-HEHS-96-94,
Feb.
29,
1996).
FHA
Hospital
Mortgage
Insurance
Program:
Health
Care
Trends
and
Portfolio
Concentration
Could
Affect
Program
Stability
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-29,
Feb.
27,
1996).
FDA
Review
and
Approval
Tirae

Pharmacy
Benefit Managers:
Early
Results
on
Ventures
With
Drug
Manufacturers
(Testimony,
GAO/T-HEHS-96-85,
Feb.
7,
1996).
Report
on
same
topic
(GAO/HEHS-96-45,
Nov.
9,
1995).
Education
Public Education:
Issues
Involving Single-Gender
Schools
and
Programs
(Report,

School
Districts
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-3,
Apr.
19,
1996).
Federal
Programs
for
Land-Grant
Schools
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-91R,
Mar.
28, 1996).
Guaranty
Agencv
Finances
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-81R,
Mar.
11,
1996).
At-Risk
and
Delinquent
Youth:
Multiple
Federal

Confidence
That
Wage
Rates
Are
Based
on
Accurate
Data
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-130,
May
31,
1996).
Federal
Downsizing:
The
Status
of
Agencies' Workforce
Reduction
Efforts
(Testimony,
GAO/T-GGD-96-124,
May
23,
1996).
National
Service
Programs:

Projects
Share
Common
Strateev
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-108,
May
7,
1996).
Testimony
on
same
topic
(GAO/T-HEHS-96-127,
Apr.
18,
1996).
Page
13
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
Job
Training: Small
Business Participation
in
Selected
Training
Programs
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-106,
Apr.

Federal
Program With
State
Youth
Training
Initiatives
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-92,
Mar.
28,
1996).
Intelligence
Agencies:
Selected
Personnel
Practices
at
CIA.
NSA.
and
DIA
Compared
to
Other
Agencies
(Report,
GAO/NSIAD-96-6,
Mar.
11,
1996).

Welfare
Supplemental
Security
Income:
Noncitizen
Caseload
Continues
to
Grow
(Testimony,
GAO/T-HEHS-96-149,
May
23, 1996).
Children
Receiving
SSI
by
StateI
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-144R,
May
15,
1996).
Food
Stamn
Program:
Focus
Group Research
and
Procurement

Transfer
Valuable
Resources to Qualify
for
Benefits
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-79,
Apr.
30,
1996).
SSA
Overpavment
Recovery
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-104R,
Apr.
30,
1996).
SSA
Disability:
Program
Redesign
Necessary
to
Encourage
Return
to
Work
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-62,

of
Federal
and
State
Laws
(Report,
GAO/GGD-96-76,
Apr.
3,
1996).
District's
Workforce:
Annual
Report Required
by
the
District
of Columbia
Retirement
Reform Act
(Report,
GAO/GGD-96-95,
Mar.
29,
1996).
Electronic
Benefits
Transfer
Task
Force

Aging
Issues: Related
GAO
Reports
and
Activities
in
Fiscal Year
1995
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-82,
Mar.
6,
1996).
SSA
Initiatives
to
Identify
Coaching
(Letter,
GAO/HEHS-96-96R,
Mar.
5,
1996).
PASS
Proeram:
SSA
Work
Incentive
for

Pension
Plan
Data
(Report,
GAO/AIMD-96-6,
Feb.
16,
1996).
Food
Stamp
Program:
Achieving
Cost
Neutrality
in
Minnesota's Family
Investment
Program
(Report,
GAO/RCED-96-54,
Feb.
12,
1996).
Supplemental
Security
Income:
Noncitizens
Have
Been
a Major Source

GAO/HEHS-96-112,
May
28,
1996).
Defense
Health
Care:
Medicare Costs
and
Other Issues
May
Affect
Uniformed
Services
Treatment
Facilities'
Future
(Report,
GAO/HEHS-96-124,
May
17,
1996).
Defense
Health
Care:
Effects
of
Mandated
Cost
Sharing

Medical ADP
Systems:
Defense
Achieves
Worldwide
Deplovment
of
Composite
Health
Care
Svste
n
(Report,
GAO/AIMD-96-39,
Apr.
5,
1996).
Page
16
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
VA
Health
Care: Approaches
for
Developing
Budget-Neutral
Eligibilitv
Reform
(Testimony,
GAO/T-HEHS-96-107,

Care:
Opportunities
to
Increase
Efficiency
and
Reduce
Resource
Needs
(Testimony,
GAO/T-HEHS-96-99,
Mar.
8,
1996).
Defense
Health
Care:
TRICARE
Progressing.
but
Some
Cost
and
Performance
Issues
Remain
(Testimony,
GAO/T-HEHS-96-100,
Mar.
7,

1996).
Page
17
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
Contacts
To
order
GAO
products,
please
see
the
instructions
on
page
23.
If
you
have
a
question
about
a
particular
topic,
however,
please
contact
Janet
Shikles,

David
P.
Baine,
Director,
(202)
512-7101
Stephen
P.
Backhus,
Associatei
Director,
(202)
512-7111
*
Military
Health
Care
*
Quality
and
Practice
Standards
*
Veterans'
Benefits
*
Veterans's
Health
Care
Health

Agencies
*
Medicare
*
Public
Health
and
Education
*
Substance
Abuse
and
Drug
Treatment
*
Prescription
Drugs
Page
18
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
Health
Systems
Issues
William
J.
Scanlon, Director,
(202)
512-7119
Jonathan
Ratner,

512-7215
Diana
S.
Eisenstat,
Associate
Director,
(202)
512-5562
Mark
V.
Nadel,
Associate
Director,
(202)
512-7215
*
Pension
Funding
and
Benefits
*
Social
Security
and
Disability
*
Welfare,
Child
Support,
and

Elementary
and
Secondary
Education
*
Higher
Education
*
Training
and
Employment
Assistance
*
Workplace
Quality
Page
19
GAO/HEHS-96-159W
Internet
Instructions
To
access
this
publication
as a
FULL
TEXT
ASCII or
PDF (Portable
Document

Via
World
Wide
Web
via
GAO
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Page:
1.
Go
to:
http'/www.gao.gov
2.
Select "Search
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Through
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3.
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Note:
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Assistant
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General
U.S.
General
Accounting
Office
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Street,
NW
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DC
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