House Republicans seek details on health law implementation spending, Medicare Advantage bonus payments

The Hill: House Republicans Ask For Details On Health Care Implementation Spending
House Republicans on Thursday asked government auditors for a detailed accounting of the money being used to implement President Obama's healthcare law. Republican leaders on the Ways and Means Committee asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate how much money the Obama administration has spent implementing the law -; and how much it expects to spend through 2014, when most of the major provisions take effect (Baker, 8/9).

Kaiser Health News: 3 House Republican Ask For GAO Report On CMS Spending
In January 2011, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, one of several agencies charged with implementing the health law, would be moved from her office into CMS. The reorganization,  Sebelius wrote, was done to improve implementation of the health law and to create "administrative savings and organizational efficiencies."  The agency was renamed the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, or CCIIO. In their letter Thursday, the House Republicans suggested a different motive for the shift. "We suspect what precipitated this reorganization was the desire by Obama Administration officials to tap into the significant financial resources at CMS' disposal" (Carey, 8/10).

CQ HealthBeat: Republicans Concerned About Use Of Funds For Health Insurance Oversight Office
Top House Ways and Means Committee Republicans on Thursday requested a financial analysis of money spent on a health care oversight center, saying the Obama administration may have diverted funds from Medicare and Medicaid. Three GOP lawmakers asked the Government Accountability Office to audit all the money allocated to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), which was created under the 2010 health care law (Ethridge, 8/9).

The Hill: GOP Wants More Records On $8B Medicare Program
House Republicans say the Obama administration hasn't fully answered questions about a controversial Medicare program. Republican leaders on the Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to the Health and Human Services Department on Thursday to request more information about the $8 billion program, which is under fire from lawmakers as well as the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. GAO has said HHS should simply end the demonstration program, which gives bonus payments to Medicare Advantage plans that meet certain quality standards (Baker, 8/9).