COMPTROLLER GENERAL’S REPORT - ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTH CARE FINANCING ADMINISTRATION IN HEW - Hearing July 21, 1977

Sep 28, 2026

Hearing proceedings from the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Finance on July 21, 1977, focusing on a General Accounting Office report concerning the establishment of the Health Care Financing Administration within HEW. The record outlines the subcommittee’s purpose: evaluating whether the Medicare and Medicaid reorganization enhances or impairs coordinated policymaking and operations. It also addresses concerns about proliferation of supergrade employees, fragmentation of authority and responsibility, and overlapping bureaus, offices, and divisions, followed by consideration of proposals to expand Medicare coverage for rural clinic services.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Finance Committee announces hearing to receive report

Written statements submission deadline

Hearing opening and purposes

COMPTROLLER GENERAL’S REPORT ONESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTH CAREFINANCING ADMINISTRATION IN HEW HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCEUNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JULY 21,1977 HERMAN E.TALMADGE,GeorgiaABRAHAM RIBICOFF,ConnecticutHARRY F.BYRD,JR.,Virginia0:GAYLORD NELSON,WisconsinMIKE GRAVEL,AlaskaLLOYD BENTSEN,Texas WILLIAM D.HATHAWAY,MaineFLOYD K.HASKELL,ColoradoSPARK M.MATSUNAGA,HawaiiDANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN,New York ABRAHAM RIBICOFE,ConnecticutGAYLORD NELSON,WisconsinLLOYD BENTSEN,TexasSPARK M.MATSUNAGA,Hawail COMMITTEE ON FINANCE RUSSELL B.LONG,Louisiana,Chairman MICHAEL STERN,Staff DirectorGEORGE W.PRITTS,Jr.,Minority Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTHHERMAN E.TALMADGE,Georgia,Chairman ROBERT DOLE,KansasPAUL LAXALT,NevadaJOHN C.DANFORTH,Missouri CARLT.CURTIS,NebraskaCLIFFORD P.HANSEN,WyomingROBERT DOLE,KansasBOB PACKWOOD,Oregon WILLIAM V.ROTH,JR.,DelawarePAUL LAXALT,NevadaJOHN C.DANFORTH,Missouri oeiclas1 95tm Compe./ .fe1977 CONTENTS WITNESS TageHon.Gregory J.Ahart,Director,Human Resources Division,GeneralAccounting Office;accompanied by Robert Iffert,Assistant Director_-5ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONCommittee press release announcing this hearing---1Letter from Senator Talmadge to Comptroller General Staats-2 Letter from American Federation of Government Employees to RobertIffert,Assistant Director,GA0-_12 (III) | CMS Library
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3sltimore,Marylend 21244 | | --- | # COMPTROLLER GENERAL’S REPORT ON ESTABLISH-MENT OF HEALTH CARE FINANCING ADMINISTRA-TION IN HEW THURSDAY,JULY 21,1977 U.S.SENATE,SuBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTHOF THE CoMMITTEE ON FINANCE,Washington,D.. The subcommittee met,pursuant to notice,at 9:05 a.m.in room 2221,Dirksen Senate Office Building,Hon.Herman E.Talmadge(chair-man of the subcommittee)presiding. Present:Senators Talmadge and Matsunaga.Senator TALMADGE.The hearing will be in order. The Subcommittee on Health is holding two hearings this morning.The first hearing is for the purpose of receiving the report of theGeneral Accounting Office on the reorganization of medicare andmedicaid into a new Health Care Financing Administration. The second hearing,which I anticipate will begin about 10:30,is forthe purpose of considering legislative proposals designed to expandmedicare coverage of services provided in rural clinics. [The committee press release announcing this hearing follows:] [Press Release] CoMMITTEE ON FINANCE,SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH,U.S.SENATE. # FINANCE CoMMITTEE ANNOUNCES HEARING To RECEIVE CoMPTROLLER GENERAL’sREPORT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTH CARE FINANCING ADMINISTRATION IN HEW Senator Herman E.Talmadge(D.,Ga.),Chairman of the Subcommittee onHealth of the Senate Finance Committee,announced today that the Subcommit-tee will hold a hearing on Thursday,July 21,1977 at 9:00 A.M.in Room 2221Dirksen Senate Office Building,to receive testimony from representatives of theComptroller General concerning the recent reorganization of the Medicare andMedicaid programs within the Department of Health,Education,and Welfare. The investigation by the Comptroller General of the development of theorganizational structure of the new Health Care Financing Administration wasformally requested by the Subcommittee on June 7,1977.The request stemmedfrom concern with apparent:(1)proliferation of new supergrade employees inthe new agency;(2)fragmentation of authority and responsibility;and(3)aproliferation of new and overlapping bureaus,offices,and divisions superim-posed over the Medicare and Medicaid operating agencies. At the conclusion of his detailed request to the Comptroller General for theinvestigation.Senator Talmadge stated:“Quite simply,the basic questions are:Does this organizational structure enhance or impair effective and timely co-ordinated policymaking and operations?Are duplicative or parallel functionsand jobs consolidated or eliminated at

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the July 21, 1977 hearing?

To receive testimony from the Comptroller General regarding the reorganization of Medicare and Medicaid into the Health Care Financing Administration within HEW and to assess its organizational structure.

What concerns prompted the Comptroller General’s investigation?

Concerns included proliferation of new supergrade employees, fragmentation of authority and responsibility, and overlapping or duplicative bureaus, offices, and divisions over Medicare and Medicaid operating agencies.

What was scheduled to occur after the Comptroller General testimony?

The subcommittee planned to proceed to consideration of legislative proposals to expand Medicare reimbursement for rural health clinics at about 10:30 a.m. on the same day.

Sep 28, 2026

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