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Shipping list no.: 95-0208-P. ; Cover title. ; Mode of access: Internet.

AbstractThe VA health care system is the largest source of public mental health care in the country, providing specialty mental health care services to more than 550,000 veterans annually. This chapter reviews the nature and scope of VA psychiatric emergency services.

Shipping list no.: 91-759-P. ; "G-1." ; Cover title. ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 12-14). ; Mode of access: Internet.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed information system general controls over financial and sensitive veteran medical information maintained by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), focusing on: (1) specific computer security weaknesses GAO identified at the New Mexico and North Texas health care systems in conjunction with the audit of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) fiscal year (FY) 1997 financial statements; and (2) departmentwide computer security initiatives that GAO reported in October 1999."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Three years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) characterized hepatitis C as a serious national health problem that needs early detection to reduce transmission risks, ensure timely treatment, and prevent progression of liver disease. In a 1988 letter, VA outlined the process clinicians should use when (1) screening veterans for known risk factors for exposure to hepatitis C and (2) ordering tests to detect antibodies and diagnose hepatitis C infection as part of a plan to evaluate and assess risk factors for VA patients. This testimony discusses VA's progress in screening and testing veterans for hepatitis C during fiscal years 1999 and 2000. GAO found that VA missed opportunities to screen as many as three million veterans when they visited medical facilities during fiscal years 1999 and 2000, potentially leaving as many as 200,000 veterans unaware that they have hepatitis C infections. Of those screened, an unknown number likely remain undiagnosed because of flawed procedures. Although the pace of screening and testing appears to be improving, many currently undiagnosed veterans may not be identified expeditiously unless VA (1) establishes early detection of hepatitis C as a standard for care and (2) holds facility managers accountable for timely screening and testing of veterans who visit VA medical facilities."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Veterans Affairs'(VA) efforts to reduce the waiting times for outpatient care, focusing on VA's initiatives to: (1) improve its waiting time; and (2) address its waiting time problems."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has continued to identify significant vulnerabilities in the department's use of government purchase cards. Over the years, the OIG has identified internal control weaknesses that resulted in instances of fraud and numerous improper and questionable uses of purchase cards. The OIG has made a number of recommendations for corrective action. Given that VA is the second largest user of the governmentwide purchase card program, with reported purchases totaling $1.5 billion for fiscal year 2002, and because of the program weaknesses reported by the OIG, GAO was asked to determine whether existing controls at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) were designed to provide reasonable assurance that improper purchases would be prevented or detected in the normal course of business, purchase card and convenience check expenditures were made in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and purchases were made for a reasonable cost and a valid government need. GAO's report on this issue, released concurrently with this testimony, makes 36 recommendations to strengthen internal controls and compliance in VHA's purchase card program to reduce its vulnerability to improper, wasteful, and questionable purchases."

Factors that most likely influence a veteran to have health insurance & to use a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility (joint-choice case) were assessed by analyzing data from the third Survey of Veterans (N = 9,442 respondents, 1987) under a bivariate probit specification. Findings indicate that a veteran's decision to use a VA facility is largely dependent on whether the individual has some type of health insurance coverage. A simple simulation highlights the impact of veterans' disability status, relative to their household income, in terms of their probabilities of having health insurance & using a VA facility. Changes in how health care is provided to vulnerable populations could increase the demand for VA care, given that veterans with low incomes & disabilities have a greater propensity to use VA. These findings could provide a baseline for the potential increased usage of VA care. 3 Tables, 25 References. Adapted from the source document.

"December 8, 1994." ; Shipping list no.: 94-0413-P. ; Distributed to some depository libraries in microfiche. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Mode of access: Internet.

Shipping list no.: 91-009-P. ; "G-2." ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Mode of access: Internet.