GAO Medicare criticism 'seriously flawed'

A study by the US Government Accountibility Office into the accuracy of information provided by call centers operated by Medicare prescription drug benefit providers has found that the service provided was often "inaccurate" and "incomplete." The findings were challenged by both the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the trade association, America's Health Insurance Plans, the latter describing the GAO report itself as "seriously flawed and inaccurate."

The GAO report was requested by Democrat members of the House of Representatives and found that the majority of calls were answered promptly and that, in the main, customer service was friendly and helpful. However, the study also found that overall accuracy and completeness of answers varied from 20% to 60% and two of the 10 drug plans contacted provided inaccurate or incomplete information about costs more than 70% of the time. Nearly one in six questions could not be given a response by call-center staff.

The report concluded that potential Medicare beneficiaries could sign up for more expensive or less comprehensive plans than they might otherwise have chosen because of the inadequate service provided. A previous GAO report criticized the CMS' own call center (Marketletter May 22).