GAO Report Examines Effect Of Part D Expense Cap On Ryan White Grantees

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 23 Dec 2008 - 3:00 PST

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"Ryan White Care Act: First-Year Experiences Under the Part D Administrative Expense Cap" (.pdf), Government Accountability Office: The report was conducted to examine the effect of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment and Modernization Act of 2006, which took effect in fiscal year 2007 and capped the amount of money that Part D grantees could spend on administrative services at 10%. In response to the GAO survey, 83 grantees reported that they provide a variety of medical and support services to clients, with the majority saying that they have not made changes in response to the cap. The majority of the respondents said that the cap has not affected services they provide. Four respondents reported increasing services and three reported reducing services because of the cap. The majority of grantees also said that the cap has had a negative impact on their Part D programs even if it has not affected services. For example, the cap has made it necessary for clinical staff to conduct administrative duties. About half of the grantees said that not all of their Part D administrative expenses were covered by the 10% allowance ("Ryan White Care Act: First-Year Experiences Under the Part D Administrative Expense Cap," Government Accountability Office, December 2008).

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