MEDICARE PART D

CMS Has 

Implemented 

Processes to Oversee 

Plan Finder Pricing 

Accuracy and Improve 

Website Usability

Report to the Special Committee on 

Aging, U.S. Senate

January 2014

GAO-14-143

United States Government Accountability Office
United States Government Accountability Office

Highlights of GAO-14-143, a report to the 

Special Committee on Aging, U.S. Senate

January 2014

MEDICARE PART D

CMS Has Implemented Processes to Oversee Plan 

Finder Pricing Accuracy and Improve Website 

Usability

Why GAO Did This Study

The Medicare prescription drug 

program, known as Medicare Part D, 

provides a voluntary outpatient 

prescription drug benefit for Medicare 

beneficiaries. Beneficiaries may 

choose Part D plans from among 

multiple plans offered by private 

companies—plan sponsors—that 

contract with CMS. Plans may differ in 

their premiums and cost-sharing 

arrangements, the drugs they cover, 

and the pharmacies they contract with 

to fill prescriptions. CMS developed the 

Medicare Plan Finder interactive 

website in 2005 as a tool to help 

beneficiaries compare Part D plans 

and identify plans that meet their 

needs. For Plan Finder to serve its 

intended purpose, beneficiaries and 

their advisers need to be able to obtain 

accurate drug cost information, 

understand plan options, and navigate 

the website effectively. 

GAO was asked to review CMS’s 

efforts to ensure that beneficiaries can 

use Plan Finder effectively. This report 

examines (1) how CMS oversees the 

accuracy of drug pricing information in 

Plan Finder; and (2) how CMS 

assesses the usability of Plan Finder 

and any steps CMS has taken to 

improve it. To conduct this work, GAO 

reviewed documentation detailing 

CMS’s processes for overseeing Plan 

Finder pricing accuracy and obtained 

data on agency compliance actions. 

GAO also interviewed CMS officials 

and organizations that help Medicare 

beneficiaries navigate Plan Finder to 

learn about CMS’s processes for 

obtaining feedback on Plan Finder’s 

usability and steps the agency has 

taken to improve the website.

What GAO Found

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency within the 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers Medicare, 

uses data checks and quality measures to oversee the accuracy of Part D plan 

pricing information on the Plan Finder interactive website. Part D sponsors may 

have multiple contracts with CMS to provide drug coverage, with each contract 

covering one or more distinct Part D plans, and CMS is responsible for 

overseeing plan sponsors’ compliance with their Part D contracts. CMS requires 

Part D plan sponsors to submit drug pricing information for their plans, which 

Plan Finder uses to estimate beneficiaries’ cost-sharing amounts and expected 

annual drug costs. To ensure the accuracy of this information,

• CMS performs computerized data checks on the pricing information for each 

plan to identify incomplete and potentially inaccurate data before information 

is displayed on Plan Finder. If CMS’s data checks identify potentially 

inaccurate plan pricing information, CMS gives the plan’s sponsor an 

opportunity to attest to the accuracy of the data, or correct it. If the plan’s 

sponsor does not verify or correct potential inaccuracies identified by these 

checks, CMS will “suppress” the plan from Plan Finder, which means that the 

plan’s pricing information is removed and that beneficiaries cannot enroll in 

the plan through the website. In the first seven months of 2013, 25 percent of 

Part D contracts had one or more plans suppressed from Plan Finder at least 

once. CMS has taken compliance actions against plan sponsors for repeated 

suppressions—between January 1, 2009, and July 31, 2013, CMS issued 89 

notices of noncompliance and 67 warning letters.

• CMS uses quality measures to evaluate the accuracy of pricing information 

on Plan Finder. As part of its Part D Star Ratings, which provide beneficiaries 

with information on plan quality, CMS collects performance data on Part D 

plans covered under each individual contract. CMS assigns scores to each 

contract based on the extent to which beneficiaries’ point-of-sale costs were 

higher than prices posted on Plan Finder. For the 2013 Star Ratings, 

6 percent of contracts had point-of-sale prices that were greater than Plan 

Finder prices by an average of 4 percent or more. 

CMS has assessed the usability of Plan Finder by obtaining feedback from a 

variety of sources, including beneficiary assistance organizations, user testing, a 

website survey, and website user data. CMS has used feedback on Plan Finder 

to update the website and improve usability. For example, CMS developed and 

added a “frequently asked questions” webpage to the website. Officials from the 

beneficiary organizations GAO spoke with generally said that Plan Finder helps 

beneficiaries compare Part D plans and that its usability has improved over time.

GAO provided a draft of this report to HHS and HHS agreed with GAO’s findings.

View GAO-14-143. For more information, 

contact Kathleen King at (202) 512-7114 or 

kingk@gao.gov.
Page i GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Letter 1 

Background 5

CMS Uses Data Checks and Quality Measures to Oversee Plan 

Finder’s Drug Pricing Accuracy and Has Taken Compliance 

Actions against Plan Sponsors 11

CMS Has Obtained Feedback on Plan Finder from a Variety of 

Sources and Has Taken Steps to Improve Usability 17

Agency Comments 20

Appendix I Comments from the Department of Health and Human Services 22

Appendix II GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 24

Related GAO Products 25

Tables

Table 1: Part D Plan Finder Suppressions due to Inaccurate 

Pricing Information, January 1, 2012, through July 31, 

2013 13

Table 2: Part D Contracts Pricing Accuracy, 2011 through 2013 

Star Ratings 16

Table 3: Beneficiary Enrollments in Part D Prescription Drug Plans 

(PDP) and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans 

(MA-PD) through Plan Finder, 2009-2013 20

Figures

Figure 1: Medicare Part D Cost-Sharing Structure under the 

Standard Benefit, 2013 6

Figure 2: Example of Plan Finder’s Plan Results Webpage 9

Contents
Page ii GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Abbreviations

CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

LIS low-income subsidy

MA-PD Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan

OIG Office of Inspector General

PDP stand-alone prescription drug plan

SHIP State Health Insurance Assistance Program

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the 

United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety 

without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain 

copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be 

necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.
Page 1 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

January 10, 2014

The Honorable Bill Nelson

Chairman

The Honorable Susan Collins

Ranking Member

Special Committee on Aging

United States Senate

The Medicare prescription drug program, known as Medicare Part D, 

provides a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit for Medicare 

beneficiaries.1 As of January 2013, nearly 34 million beneficiaries were 

enrolled in Part D. Beneficiaries may choose Part D plans from among 

multiple plans offered by private companies—Part D plan sponsors—that 

contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the 

agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that 

administers Medicare. Part D plan sponsors may have multiple contracts 

with CMS to provide drug coverage, with each contract covering one or 

more distinct Part D plans.2 Plans may charge different monthly 

premiums and have different beneficiary cost-sharing arrangements—

such as deductibles and copayments or coinsurance for covered drugs.3

Beneficiaries’ annual drug costs—the total amount beneficiaries pay in 

premiums, cost-sharing, and costs for non-covered drugs each year—

In addition, plans may differ in the drugs they cover and the pharmacies 

they contract with to fill prescriptions.

 

1

Medicare—a federal health insurance program—is for people age 65 and older, 

individuals under age 65 with certain disabilities, and individuals diagnosed with end-stage 

renal disease. Medicare consists of four parts. Parts A and B are known as original 

Medicare or Medicare fee-for-service. Part A covers hospital and other inpatient stays. 

Part B covers hospital outpatient, physician, and other services. Part C is Medicare 

Advantage, under which beneficiaries receive health benefits through private health plans. 

Part D provides the outpatient prescription drug benefit.

2

For example, a plan sponsor may have a contract that covers plans in one region of the 

country, and another contract that covers plans in another region. Plans covered under 

the same contract may differ in their benefit structure, such as the premiums they charge.

3

A deductible is a fixed dollar amount that beneficiaries must pay before coverage takes 

effect. A copayment is usually a fixed amount paid by beneficiaries for a drug, whereas 

coinsurance is a percentage of a drug’s point-of-sale cost that the beneficiary is 

responsible for paying.
 

Page 2 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

vary depending on which Part D plans they choose. Drug costs vary 

based on plans’ benefit structures and drug coverage, the costs and 

amount of drugs needed, and the pharmacies the beneficiaries use. In 

addition, beneficiaries’ drug costs can change from one year to the next 

as their drug needs change, and as plans modify their premiums, costsharing arrangements, and drugs they cover each year.4

Given the variation amongst plans and the numerous factors affecting 

beneficiaries’ drug costs, beneficiaries may face challenges comparing 

plans and may not enroll in plans that best meet their needs. Several 

studies have found that most beneficiaries could have saved money had 

they enrolled in lower-cost plans available to them based on their 

prescription drug needs.5 Other studies have also found that even though 

beneficiaries are eligible to switch plans each year as their needs change, 

relatively few beneficiaries reevaluate their plan options or switch plans.6

To help beneficiaries compare Part D plans and identify plans that meet 

their needs, CMS developed the Medicare Plan Finder interactive 

website.7

 

4

Part D plan sponsors must make these types of changes in accordance with federal 

requirements. For example, plan sponsors must provide advance notice to CMS, affected 

beneficiaries, and other parties prior to removing a drug from a formulary or changing a 

drug’s cost-sharing status.

Plan Finder uses coverage and prescription drug pricing 

information that Part D plan sponsors are required to submit, along with 

5

See Chao Zhou and Yuting Zhang, “The Vast Majority Of Medicare Part D Beneficiaries 

Still Don’t Choose The Cheapest Plans That Meet Their Medication Needs,” Health 

Affairs, vol. 31, no.10 (2012): 2259-2265, accessed May 23, 2013, 

http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/31/10/2259.full.html, and Jonathan Gruber, 

“Choosing a Medicare Part D Plan: Are Medicare Beneficiaries Choosing Low-Cost 

Plans?,” Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed May 31, 2013, 

http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/7864.pdf. 

6

A 2012 Kaiser Family Foundation study found that about one quarter of beneficiaries 

rarely or never review and compare their coverage options, and the Medicare Payment 

Advisory Commission reported that 13 percent of beneficiaries not eligible for low-income 

subsidies voluntarily switched plans in 2010 and 2011. See Henry J. Kaiser Family 

Foundation, “Key Findings from the Kaiser Family Foundation 2012 National Survey of 

Seniors: Seniors’ Knowledge and Experience with Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period 

and Choosing a Plan,” accessed May 30, 2013, 

http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8374.pdf and Medicare 

Payment Advisory Commission, March 2013 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment 

Policy, (Washington, D.C.: March 2013).

7

See www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. 
 

Page 3 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

information entered by beneficiaries on the prescription drugs they take 

and the pharmacies they use, to estimate beneficiaries’ cost-sharing 

amounts and expected annual drug costs. Plan Finder also provides 

beneficiaries with information on CMS’s ratings of the quality of each 

plan, based on their performance across a range of quality measures. For 

Plan Finder to serve its intended purpose effectively, beneficiaries and 

their advisers need to be able to obtain accurate drug coverage and cost 

information, understand available plan options, and navigate the website.

You asked us to review CMS’s efforts to ensure that beneficiaries can use 

Plan Finder effectively. We examined (1) how CMS oversees the 

accuracy of drug pricing information in Plan Finder and (2) how CMS 

assesses the usability of Plan Finder and any steps that CMS has taken 

to improve it.

To examine how CMS oversees the accuracy of drug pricing information 

in Plan Finder, we interviewed officials from CMS on their processes for 

ensuring Plan Finder pricing accuracy and for taking compliance actions 

against Part D plan sponsors that do not provide accurate Plan Finder 

pricing information. We reviewed documentation describing the data 

checks performed by CMS to identify outlying and inaccurate pricing 

information submitted by Part D plan sponsors. We also obtained 

documentation related to CMS compliance activities, including 

documentation associated with an instance of noncompliance that was 

referred by CMS to the Department of Justice. We analyzed data on 

actions taken by CMS when plan sponsors did not submit accurate drug 

pricing information, including data from CMS’s Compliance Activity 

Module—CMS’s data repository for compliance actions taken against 

Part D plan sponsors— from January 1, 2009, through July 31, 2013.8

 

8

To focus on plans available to eligible beneficiaries, our analysis of this data excluded 

Part D contracts that cover plans with restricted enrollment—employer-sponsored, 

Demonstration, Cost, and PACE plans.

CMS tracks compliance activities by the individual contract. We also 

reviewed CMS’s Star Ratings performance data, which assigns scores to 

individual Part D contracts based on the performance of plans covered 

under the contracts across a range of quality measures, from 2011 
 

Page 4 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

through 2013.9

To examine how CMS assesses the usability of Plan Finder and any 

steps that CMS has taken to improve it, we interviewed CMS officials 

regarding their processes for obtaining feedback on the usability of Plan 

Finder and addressing any identified issues. We obtained documentation 

describing changes made to the website from January 1, 2011, through 

July 31, 2013, along with documentation associated with beneficiary user 

testing and website surveys conducted by CMS. We also obtained 

agency data on the total number of beneficiary enrollments in Part D 

plans, and the number of beneficiary enrollments through the website 

from January 1, 2009, through July 31, 2013.

We discussed these data with agency officials and 

reviewed them for reasonableness and consistency; we determined that 

the data were sufficiently reliable for our purposes.

10

 

9

CMS’s Star Ratings assign scores to individual Part D contracts and all of the plans 

under a given contract assume the same Star Ratings scores. To focus on plans available 

to eligible beneficiaries, our analysis of this data excluded Part D contracts that cover 

plans with restricted enrollment—employer-sponsored, Demonstration, Cost, and PACE 

plans.

We discussed these data 

with agency officials and reviewed them for reasonableness and

consistency; we determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for our 

purposes. We also interviewed officials from organizations that help 

Medicare beneficiaries navigate the Plan Finder website and use Plan 

Finder themselves when counseling beneficiaries. We discussed their 

experiences with the website, their observations of beneficiaries’ 

experiences, and any feedback on the website that they have provided to 

CMS. While perspectives obtained from these interviews are not 

generalizable, they provided insights into users’ perspectives on Plan 

Finder. We compared CMS’s processes for obtaining feedback on Plan 

Finder’s usability to leading practices for collecting feedback and 

10The Part D enrollment data we obtained excluded Demonstration, Cost, and PACE 

plans, though it included employer-sponsored plans. The Plan Finder enrollment data we 

obtained included enrollment in all Medicare Advantage plans, not just Medicare 

Advantage prescription drug plans, and included employer-sponsored plans.
 

Page 5 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

performance data on website usability provided on HowTo.gov, a source 

of information for federal website development and management.11

We conducted this performance audit from July 2013 to January 2014 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain 

sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that 

the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and 

conclusions based on our audit objectives.

Medicare Part D was established by the Medicare Prescription Drug, 

Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.12 Since January 1, 2006, 

beneficiaries have been able to obtain prescription drug coverage through 

prescription drug plans offered by Part D plan sponsors that contract with 

CMS. Plan sponsors offer prescription drug coverage through stand-alone 

prescription drug plans (PDP) or through Medicare Advantage 

prescription drug plans (MA-PD), which combine medical and prescription 

drug benefits. In 2013, CMS had 75 PDP and 555 MA-PD contracts with 

Part D plan sponsors that together offered 2,660 plans. About 64 percent 

of beneficiaries with a Part D plan enrolled in PDPs and 36 percent 

enrolled in MA-PDs.

 

11Howto.gov is a website managed by the General Services Administration that serves as 

a resource to federal agencies to improve how they communicate and interact with users 

and provide services and information. The website makes available a list of the “Top 10 

Best Practices” for federal websites and provides detailed information on how to 

implement each practice; accessed November 5, 2013, http://www.howto.gov/webcontent/requirements-and-best-practices/top-10-best-practices. We summarized the 

implementation guidance associated with these practices in a prior GAO report. See GAO, 

Managing for Results: Leading Practices Should Guide the Continued Development of 

Performance.gov, GAO-13-517 (Washington, D.C.: June 6, 2013). 

12Pub. L. No. 108-173, § 101, 117 Stat. 2066, 2071 (2003) (codified, as amended, at 

42 U.S.C. §§ 1395w-101, et seq.).

Background
 

Page 6 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Part D plan sponsors are required to offer plans that provide a minimum 

set of benefits to beneficiaries—the standard benefit—or an actuarially 

equivalent benefit.13

Figure 1: Medicare Part D Cost-Sharing Structure under the Standard Benefit, 2013

Under the standard benefit, beneficiaries pay 

monthly premiums and cost-sharing for drug purchases. Cost-sharing 

varies over the course of the year as beneficiaries move through the 

phases of the benefit. The standard benefit features a deductible and an 

initial coverage period during which beneficiaries pay coinsurance for 

prescription drugs until they reach the initial coverage limit. After the initial 

coverage period, beneficiaries enter the coverage gap, which is followed 

by the catastrophic coverage period in which beneficiaries pay a small 

share of total drug costs (see fig. 1).

Note: Part D plan sponsors are required to offer plans that provide a minimum set of benefits to 

beneficiaries—the standard benefit—or an actuarially equivalent benefit. The cost-sharing structure 

under the standard benefit does not apply to beneficiaries that receive the Part D low-income subsidy, 

who generally have zero or nominal cost-sharing.

 

13To provide an actuarially equivalent benefit, plan sponsors must meet certain 

requirements, including obtaining the approval of CMS.

Part D Benefits and Costs
 

Page 7 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

In addition to the standard Part D benefit, plan sponsors can offer a range 

of plans with different benefit structures that are actuarially equivalent to, 

or exceed the standard benefit.14 Under these plans, monthly premiums 

and cost-sharing arrangements can vary. For example, plans with 

enhanced benefits may charge higher monthly premiums than standard 

benefit plans, but may offer lower cost-sharing arrangements, such as a 

reduction or elimination of a deductible. Under Part D, certain individuals 

are also entitled to a low-income subsidy (LIS), through which they get 

reduced premiums and generally have zero or nominal cost-sharing.15

Subject to certain rules, the prescription drugs covered by Part D plans 

and the cost-sharing arrangements for covered drugs may differ between 

plans. Each Part D plan has a formulary—a list of the prescription drugs

that it covers and the terms under which they are covered. While each 

plan may vary in the specific drugs it covers, plans must adhere to a 

minimum set of formulary requirements established in statute and 

regulation.16 In addition, a plan’s formulary may assign drugs to tiers that 

correspond to different levels of cost-sharing. For example, plans often 

assign generic drugs to the tier that requires the lowest cost-sharing level. 

Plans have flexibility in how they structure tiers, and different plans may 

place the same drug in different tiers. Plans may also subject drugs to 

utilization management practices, such as a limit on the amount of a drug 

that is covered.17

 

14In 2012, over 95 percent of beneficiaries were enrolled in actuarially equivalent or 

enhanced Part D plans. See Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, March 2013 

Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. 

15If beneficiaries who qualify for LIS fail to enroll in a Part D plan, CMS enrolls those 

beneficiaries in a plan, subject to certain exceptions. This group includes beneficiaries 

who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, know as full-benefit dual-eligible 

beneficiaries.

16The formularies generally must include within each therapeutic category and class of 

covered Part D drugs at least two drugs that are not therapeutically equivalent and 

bioequivalent. Exceptions are allowed, for example, when there is only one drug in a 

particular category or class. CMS has also designated categories and classes for which 

formularies must include every Part D drug, subject to certain exceptions. See 42 U.S.C. 

§ 1395w-104(b)(3)(C)(i); 42 C.F.R. § 423.120(b)(2)(2011). 

17These utilization management practices can include (1) step therapy, which requires 

that beneficiaries try lower-cost drugs before plans will cover more costly drugs; (2) prior 

authorization, which requires individual beneficiaries to obtain the plan’s approval before a 

drug is covered; and (3) quantity limits, which restrict the dosage or number of units of a 

drug provided within a certain period of time.
 

Page 8 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Part D cost-sharing for beneficiaries may also vary based on the 

pharmacies they use. Plan sponsors contract with retail and mail order 

pharmacies to dispense the drugs that plans cover. Plan sponsors 

negotiate the prices for covered drugs with pharmacies, and may 

negotiate different rates with different pharmacies. Some plans have 

“preferred” pharmacies within their pharmacy network that have agreed to 

offer drugs at lower cost-sharing levels.

Since the beginning of the Part D program, CMS has administered the 

Plan Finder website to assist beneficiaries and their advisers in assessing 

Part D plan options by providing them with information on plan coverage 

and quality, and by estimating their annual drug costs.18 Beneficiaries can 

use Plan Finder to evaluate their plan options when they first become 

eligible for Part D or to reevaluate their options during the open 

enrollment period each year, and they can enroll in a plan through the 

website.19 To compare plans in Plan Finder, beneficiaries work their way 

through the website by entering information on where they live, the drugs 

they take, and the pharmacies they use. Plan Finder then identifies Part D 

plan options available to them and estimates their annual drug costs for 

each plan at their selected retail and mail order pharmacies (see fig. 2). It 

also provides information on how beneficiaries’ monthly drug costs 

change as they move through the Part D benefit over the course of the 

year. In addition to the website, customer service representatives for 

1-800-MEDICARE—a nationwide toll-free telephone help line that 

beneficiaries and their advisers can call to ask questions about 

Medicare—also use a version of Plan Finder to provide information on 

Part D plan options and to enroll beneficiaries over the phone.

 

18CMS implemented the Part D Plan Finder tool in 2005 to help beneficiaries compare 

plans for the 2006 open enrollment period. Beneficiaries can also use Plan Finder to 

obtain information on Medicare Advantage plans and Medigap plans—supplemental 

health care plans that cover beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket expenditures, including 

copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and services not covered by Medicare.

19During the Part D open enrollment period—typically October 15 to December 7—

beneficiaries can change their Medicare prescription drug plan for the following calendar 

year. Under certain circumstances, beneficiaries may be eligible to change or enroll in 

plans outside of the open enrollment period.

The Medicare Plan Finder
 

Page 9 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Figure 2: Example of Plan Finder’s Plan Results Webpage
 

Page 10 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

CMS is responsible for overseeing plan sponsors’ compliance with their 

Part D contracts. CMS imposes program requirements on Part D plan 

sponsors—including a requirement that they submit accurate drug price, 

formulary, and pharmacy network information for Plan Finder20

CMS can impose a range of compliance and enforcement actions to 

ensure compliance with program requirements, including requirements 

related to Plan Finder. The lowest-level compliance action is a notice of 

noncompliance, which notifies the Part D plan sponsor that it is in 

violation of program requirements under the terms of one or more of its 

contracts. The notice of noncompliance requests that the plan sponsor 

address the problem. If the noncompliance continues, CMS may issue a 

warning letter.

—and 

sponsors are subject to possible compliance and enforcement actions for 

failure to meet those requirements. In addition, compliance and 

enforcement actions are included in the plan sponsor’s record of past 

performance, which CMS considers when reviewing applications for new 

or expanded Medicare contracts submitted by that plan sponsor.

21

 

20In accordance with federal requirements, Part D plan sponsors must submit information 

that enables CMS to provide current and potential beneficiaries with the information they 

need to make an informed choice among Part D plans.

If CMS determines that the noncompliance affects a 

significant number of beneficiaries, represents an ongoing or systemic 

inability to adhere to program requirements, or is particularly egregious, 

CMS may require the plan sponsor to develop and implement a corrective 

action plan. The corrective action plan must address the deficiencies 

identified by CMS, provide an attainable time frame for implementing 

corrective actions, and include a process for validating and monitoring 

that the corrective actions were taken and remain effective. CMS can also 

take enforcement actions for persistent noncompliance or to address 

more significant violations. Enforcement actions include civil money 

penalties; marketing, enrollment, and payment suspensions; and contract 

terminations. The nature of each instance of noncompliance is considered 

when determining the appropriate compliance or enforcement actions, 

and the actions generally proceed through the process in a step-by-step 

manner. However, for more serious violations, CMS may choose to 

immediately proceed to later-stage compliance or enforcement actions.

21In some instances, CMS may request in the warning letter that the sponsor submit a 

business plan for resolving issues related to the noncompliance.

CMS Oversight of the 

Part D Program
 

Page 11 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

CMS also oversees the Part D program through its Star Ratings, which 

assigns scores to Part D contracts every year across a range of quality 

measures. CMS collects performance data on Part D plans covered 

under each individual contract for 18 quality measures—including a 

measure for Plan Finder drug pricing accuracy. CMS aggregates these 

quality measure scores and assigns an overall quality score between one 

and five stars, with five being the highest, to each contract. Each 

contract’s overall score and individual quality measure scores are applied 

to all plans covered under the contract, and CMS posts plans’ scores on 

the Plan Finder website to help beneficiaries choose high-quality plans.22

CMS also considers Star Ratings performance when reviewing sponsors’ 

applications for new or expanded Medicare contracts.

To assess the accuracy of pricing information on Plan Finder, CMS 

performs computerized data checks on pricing information before it is 

displayed on Plan Finder and has taken compliance actions against 

certain Part D plan sponsors for submitting inaccurate and incomplete 

pricing information. In addition, CMS uses quality measures to 

retrospectively evaluate the accuracy of pricing information on Plan 

Finder.

CMS performs computerized data checks to identify incomplete and 

potentially inaccurate pricing information before it is posted to Plan 

Finder. CMS requires Part D plan sponsors to submit drug pricing 

information for their plans on a biweekly basis—which Plan Finder uses to 

estimate beneficiaries’ cost-sharing amounts and expected drug costs. In 

2013, CMS performed a set of over 25 data checks on the biweekly 

 

22CMS first posted plans’ Star Ratings on Plan Finder in the fall of 2006 for the 2007 open 

enrollment period. For the 2011 open enrollment period, CMS implemented an icon that 

identifies low performing plans—plans that received a Star Rating of 3 stars or less for at 

least 3 consecutive years—and for the 2012 open enrollment period, CMS implemented 

an icon that highlights plans that achieved a 5 star rating.

CMS Uses Data 

Checks and Quality 

Measures to Oversee 

Plan Finder’s Drug 

Pricing Accuracy and 

Has Taken 

Compliance Actions 

against Plan 

Sponsors

CMS Uses Data Checks 

and Compliance Actions to 

Oversee Drug Pricing 

Accuracy
 

Page 12 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

submission for each plan, including checks to identify outlying drug prices 

significantly higher or lower relative to the prices submitted by other plans 

and checks to identify missing data.

If CMS’s data checks identify potentially inaccurate plan pricing 

information, CMS notifies the sponsor of the plan and gives the sponsor 

an opportunity to attest to the accuracy of the data, or correct it. If the 

sponsor does not verify or correct the pricing information, CMS will 

“suppress” the plan from Plan Finder for two weeks, or longer if the 

sponsor does not provide accurate pricing information for the next 

biweekly data update.23,24 When a Part D plan is suppressed from Plan 

Finder, its pricing information is removed and beneficiaries cannot enroll 

in the plan through the website. Plan Finder displays a warning notice 

alerting beneficiaries that the plan’s pricing information is unavailable and 

that they must contact the plan directly for cost information as well as to 

enroll. In 2012, 18 percent of Part D contracts had one or more plans that 

were suppressed from Plan Finder at least once, and, from January 1, 

2013, through July 31, 2013, 25 percent of contracts had one or more 

plans that were suppressed at least once (see table 1).

 

23Because Part D plan sponsors submit formulary information every four weeks, CMS 

officials noted that a plan is suppressed from Plan Finder for four weeks when sponsors 

do not submit accurate formulary information for that plan. According to CMS officials, 

CMS may also suppress plans from Plan Finder as a penalty for instances of 

noncompliance unrelated to Plan Finder.

24According to CMS officials, there are certain circumstances in which Plan Finder prices 

may be expected to differ from beneficiaries’ point-of-sale prices. For example, officials 

stated that Plan Finder may display inaccurate prices when there is a lag between a 

change in the manufacturer’s price for a particular drug and the bi-weekly Plan Finder 

pricing information update. In certain instances—such as when beneficiaries enter drugs 

that are not covered by particular plans, or when pharmacies that beneficiaries select are 

out of plans’ networks—Plan Finder will display estimated prices for those drugs.
 

Page 13 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Table 1: Part D Plan Finder Suppressions due to Inaccurate Pricing Information, January 1, 2012, through July 31, 2013

2012 2013

Number of times contracts had plans 

that were suppressed from Plan Finder

a

Number of contracts 

(n=620)

Percentage 

of contracts

Number of contracts 

(n=630)

Percentage 

of contracts

1 85 14% 112 18%

2 19 3% 40 6%

3 or more 7 1% 8 1%

Contracts that had plans suppressed 111 18% 160 25%

Source: GAO analysis of CMS data.

Notes: CMS tracks compliance activities by the individual contract. In tracking suppressions, CMS 

tracks the number of times each contract has one or more plans suppressed from Plan Finder. When 

a plan is suppressed from Plan Finder, its pricing information is removed and beneficiaries cannot 

enroll in the plan through the website.

a

In addition to these quality assurance checks, CMS officials noted that 

they may identify Plan Finder pricing inaccuracies based on feedback 

provided by beneficiaries and organizations that provide assistance to 

beneficiaries, such as the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs 

(SHIP).

Through July 31, 2013.

25

CMS has taken compliance actions against Part D plan sponsors for 

repeated instances of submitting inaccurate or incomplete Plan Finder 

pricing information.

According to CMS officials, SHIPs and other stakeholders can 

report inaccurate prices or other concerns through a Plan Finder email 

inbox maintained by CMS, and beneficiaries can report inaccuracies 

through 1-800-MEDICARE.

26

 

25SHIPs are state agencies that provide counseling and assistance to Medicare 

beneficiaries.

These compliance actions, including notices of 

noncompliance and warning letters, notify the sponsor that one or more of 

its contracts is out of compliance with Part D requirements. Between 

January 1, 2009, and July 31, 2013, CMS issued 89 notices of 

26For the first 7 months of 2013, CMS issued notices of non-compliance to plan sponsors 

when one of their contracts had two instances of a plan being suppressed and a warning 

letter after three or four instances.
 

Page 14 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

noncompliance and 67 warning letters for inaccurate or incomplete drug 

pricing information.27,28

According to CMS documents, there has only been one instance in which 

CMS required a Part D plan sponsor to develop and implement a 

corrective action plan for compliance concerns related to Plan Finder 

pricing accuracy. CMS required this corrective action plan in 2008 after it 

found ongoing discrepancies between a plan’s drug prices submitted to 

Plan Finder and the prices beneficiaries paid at the point-of-sale. CMS 

found the discrepancies so egregious that the agency referred the issue 

to the Department of Justice. In 2012, the plan sponsor entered into a civil 

settlement agreement with the federal government to resolve allegations 

that the plan sponsor submitted false pricing information in 2007 and 

2008.29

CMS’s processes for overseeing the accuracy of drug pricing information 

in Plan Finder are consistent with internal control standards for the federal 

government. These standards specify that agencies should have 

processes in place to oversee the accuracy of data and that they should 

design and implement controls and processes to ensure that ongoing 

monitoring occurs in the course of normal operations.30

 

27In some instances, CMS may take compliance actions against plan sponsors for 

instances of noncompliance that occurred the previous year. 

28When CMS issues a notice of noncompliance or warning letter to a Part D sponsor, it 

may reference instances of noncompliance for more than one contract. Since CMS tracks 

compliance actions by individual contract, an issued notice of noncompliance or warning 

letter that references more than one contract is counted as multiple notices or letters. For 

example, an issued warning letter that references noncompliance for three different 

contracts is counted as three letters.

29This settlement resolved allegations made in two separate complaints against 

RxAmerica, U.S. ex rel. Doe v. RxAmerica (E.D.N.Y. 2008) and U.S. ex rel. Hauser v. 

CVS Caremark Corp. and RxAmerica (W.D.N.C. 2011). The two cases were consolidated 

in November 2011.

30GAO, Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, GAO/AIMD-00-21.3.1

(Washington, DC: Nov. 1, 1999).
 

Page 15 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

CMS’s Star Ratings, which provide beneficiaries with information on plan 

quality, assigns scores to each Part D contract on the accuracy of pricing 

information on Plan Finder. To determine the annual quality ratings for 

drug pricing accuracy, CMS compares Plan Finder drug prices with 

beneficiaries’ point-of-sale drug costs and assigns scores based on the 

extent to which the point-of-sale costs were higher than prices posted on 

Plan Finder.31 For the 2013 Star Ratings, 6 percent of contracts had 

point-of-sale prices that were greater than Plan Finder prices by an 

average of 4 percent or more. This is a decrease from 13 percent of 

contracts in 2011 (see table 2).32 

 

31By comparing Plan Finder pricing information to point-of-sale costs, CMS addressed a 

recommendation from a July 2009 report by the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). 

The OIG recommended that CMS ensure that drug prices displayed on Plan Finder 

accurately reflect point-of-sale drug costs on Part D claims and suggested that CMS use 

claims information with point-of-sale costs to monitor the accuracy of Plan Finder drug 

prices at regular intervals. See HHS-OIG, Accuracy of Part D Plans’ Drug Prices on the 

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder, Report No. OEI-03-07-00600 (Washington, D.C.: 

July 2009).

32CMS posts Part D Star Ratings prior to open enrollment periods. For example, 2013 

Star Ratings were posted to Plan Finder in October 2012, and were based on pricing data 

displayed on Plan Finder between January 1 and September 30, 2011.

CMS Uses Quality 

Measures to Evaluate 

Pricing Accuracy
 

Page 16 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Table 2: Part D Contracts Pricing Accuracy, 2011 through 2013 Star Ratings

Percent of Contracts

Average percentage by which 

point-of-sale costs were higher 

than Plan Finder prices 2011a (n=506) 2012b (n=553) 2013c

0%

(n=531)

1% 1% 0%

1% 30% 54% 55%

2% 41% 22% 26%

3% 15% 16% 13%

4% 6% 3% 3%

5% or more 7% 4% 3%

Source: GAO analysis of CMS data.

Notes: The Star Ratings assign scores to each Part D contract on the accuracy of pricing information 

on Plan Finder. Data excludes Part D contracts that were new or did not have enough data to 

calculate the extent to which point-of-sale costs were higher than Plan Finder prices.

a

The 2011 measure of pricing accuracy is based on pricing data displayed on Plan Finder between 

January 1 and December 31, 2009.

b

The 2012 measure of pricing accuracy is based on pricing data displayed on Plan Finder between 

January 1 and December 31, 2010.

c

CMS officials stated that the Star Ratings drug pricing accuracy measure 

evaluates point-of-sale costs that are higher than Plan Finder prices 

because CMS particularly wants to discourage plan sponsors from using 

“bait and switch” tactics that would encourage beneficiaries to enroll in 

plans based on inaccurately low prices. The extent to which point-of-sale 

prices are lower than prices posted on Plan Finder are not reflected in the 

drug pricing accuracy measure. However, although not part of the Star 

Ratings, for 2014 CMS developed an additional “display” quality measure 

to track the extent to which point-of-sale costs were lower than prices 

posted on Plan Finder.

The 2013 measure of pricing accuracy is based on pricing data displayed on Plan Finder between 

January 1 and September 30, 2011.

33

 

33CMS uses a variety of display measures to track contracts’ performance, though they 

are not factored into the annual Star Ratings. Although not included on Plan Finder, CMS 

publishes display measure data on the agency’s website. See 

According to CMS, this display measure is 

intended to discourage plan sponsors from potentially submitting 

inaccurate high prices for select drugs or drug classes to discourage 

enrollment by certain beneficiaries.

http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-DrugCoverage/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/PerformanceData.html. 
 

Page 17 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

CMS has assessed the usability of Plan Finder by obtaining feedback 

from a variety of sources and has implemented updates to the website to 

improve usability. The practices employed by CMS to obtain feedback on 

Plan Finder’s usability are consistent with leading practices identified by 

HowTo.gov, which recommends engaging users through surveys, user 

testing, and other outreach to collect feedback on usability. Howto.gov 

also recommends that agencies collect and analyze performance and 

other measures to identify potential improvements to the website’s 

organization and content. CMS officials told us that they have obtained 

user feedback and web performance data on Plan Finder from the 

following sources:

• Beneficiary assistance organizations. CMS has obtained feedback on 

Plan Finder from SHIPs and other organizations that provide 

assistance to Medicare beneficiaries. These organizations help 

beneficiaries navigate the website, and their staff often use Plan 

Finder when counseling beneficiaries. CMS officials told us that they 

hold regular meetings with these organizations and that they maintain 

a specific email inbox for SHIP officials and beneficiary advocacy 

groups to submit feedback on issues related to Plan Finder. A number 

of organizations that we spoke with have provided CMS with 

documents detailing suggestions for improving the website. In 

addition, several of these organizations noted that CMS has reached 

out to them to obtain feedback on planned changes and updates to 

the website.

• Beneficiary user testing. CMS has conducted user tests on the 

usability of Plan Finder with beneficiaries, beneficiary advisers, and 

SHIP counselors. The user tests involved interviewing beneficiaries as 

they worked their way through Plan Finder to gain insight into their 

experiences and any challenges that they faced. For example, the 

user tests have analyzed the ease with which beneficiaries can enter 

information about the prescription drugs they take and their ability to 

use Plan Finder to compare plans. CMS has also conducted user 

tests with certain Medicare beneficiary subpopulations. For example, 

CMS conducted user tests with LIS beneficiaries to obtain feedback 

on their ability to understand LIS-specific information on the website.

CMS Has Obtained 

Feedback on Plan 

Finder from a Variety 

of Sources and Has 

Taken Steps to 

Improve Usability
 

Page 18 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

• A website survey. CMS employs a website customer satisfaction 

survey that measures and collects performance data on users’ 

experiences.34

• Website user data. CMS tracks Plan Finder website user data, such 

as the number of visitors to the website and the amount of time that 

users spend on specific webpages, to gain insight into users’ 

experiences and website navigation patterns.

For example, the survey asks users to rate the layout 

of Plan Finder and the extent to which the website’s design allows 

them to find plan information easily. It also asks about the usefulness 

of the resources that are available on the website to help users 

understand how to use Plan Finder to compare Part D plans. CMS 

has tracked several measures that are rated through these surveys, 

including measures related to how content is organized and the extent 

to which the website streamlines the plan comparison process.

35

CMS has implemented updates to the website on a quarterly basis and, 

according to CMS officials, has used feedback on Plan Finder to address 

identified issues and improve the website’s usability. For example, CMS 

developed and added a “frequently asked questions” webpage to the 

website in 2013 to help beneficiaries with frequently encountered issues. 

Several of the questions explain how and why cost-sharing can vary 

under different circumstances. To help beneficiaries better understand 

plans’ pharmacy networks, CMS added an indicator that identifies 

whether the pharmacies they entered into Plan Finder are in-network, innetwork preferred, or out-of-network in the plans that are available to 

them. In addition, CMS has added filters to help beneficiaries compare 

Part D plans and select plans that meet their needs. For example, the 

For example, if users 

are spending a long time on a specific Plan Finder webpage, it may 

indicate that they are having a hard time understanding the 

information that is being presented on the page, according to a CMS 

official. In addition, CMS officials said that they can also use this data 

to measure the number of users that work their way through Plan 

Finder to obtain information on Part D plan options available to them. 

For those that do not fully work their way through Plan Finder to 

obtain information on available plans, CMS tracks user data on when 

they exited the website.

 

34CMS contracts with a private firm, Foresee, to conduct the website survey and analyze 

survey data.

35CMS uses Google Analytics to track website user data.
 

Page 19 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

filters allow beneficiaries to look only at plans that cover all of the drugs 

they take, or plans that have limited premiums or deductibles.

Although CMS has obtained feedback on Plan Finder, incorporating such 

feedback and addressing usability issues can present challenges. One 

CMS official we spoke with said that incorporating the feedback that CMS 

receives can sometimes be difficult since they try to balance the need to 

explain complex elements of the Part D benefit, while also keeping the 

website streamlined. For example, the official noted that providing too 

much information on the website can make it more difficult for 

beneficiaries to identify needed information.

Officials from the beneficiary assistance organizations we spoke with 

generally told us that Plan Finder helps beneficiaries compare Part D 

plans and that the website’s usability has improved over time. However, 

certain beneficiaries may face barriers to using Plan Finder, regardless of 

the usability of the website. Most of the organizations we spoke with 

explained that some beneficiaries have a hard time using the information 

provided by Plan Finder to compare plans and identify plans that meet 

their needs because of the complexity of the Part D benefit and the 

variety of factors that influence cost-sharing. For example, a number of 

the beneficiary advocacy groups that we spoke with told us that some 

beneficiaries face difficulties understanding why cost-sharing varies 

between pharmacies under plans with preferred pharmacy networks. In 

addition, certain beneficiaries lack Internet access or do not have 

adequate levels of computer literacy to be able to use Plan Finder 

independently. Several officials noted, however, that beneficiaries aging 

into Medicare eligibility are increasingly experienced in using computers.

Officials from the beneficiary assistance organizations also told us that 

beneficiaries enrolling in MA-PDs may have a harder time using Plan 

Finder and our analysis of CMS enrollment data found that beneficiaries 

enrolling in MA-PDs are less likely to use the Plan Finder website to enroll 

than beneficiaries enrolling in PDPs (see table 3). These officials noted 

that, in addition to comparing prescription drug benefits, beneficiaries 

enrolling in MA-PDs have to identify plans that provide medical coverage 

that meet their needs as well. For example, one official we spoke with 

said that beneficiaries may not be inclined to enroll in MA-PDs that offer 

low cost prescription drug coverage if the beneficiaries’ health care 

providers are not in-network.
 

Page 20 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Table 3: Beneficiary Enrollments in Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans 

(MA-PD) through Plan Finder, 2009-2013

PDP MA-PD 

Plan Year

Number of 

enrollments 

through 

Plan Finder a Total number of 

enrollments b b

Percentage of 

enrollments 

through 

Plan Finder

Number of 

enrollments 

through 

Plan Finder

Total number of 

enrollments c

Percentage of 

enrollments 

through 

Plan Finder d 

2009 783,900 3,347,334 23% 101,036 3,164,323 3%

2010 671,868 3,563,408 19% 139,903 3,988,435 4%

2011 673,879 3,707,783 18% 67,071 3,874,984 2%

2012 759,001 3,877,069 20% 81,322 3,677,873 2%

2013 698,735 e 5,083,203 14% 73,824 3,370,626 2%

Source: GAO analysis of CMS data.

a

Plan year refers to the first day of open enrollment to the last date plans can accept enrollments for a 

given year. Plan years typically begin on October 15 and end on November 30 of the following year.

b

Includes new beneficiaries who enrolled in PDPs and beneficiaries that switched plans; excludes low 

income subsidy beneficiaries who were enrolled in plans by CMS.

c

Includes new beneficiaries who enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans and beneficiaries who 

switched plans; excludes low income subsidy beneficiaries who were enrolled in plans by CMS. The 

vast majority of beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare Advantage plans through Plan Finder enroll in 

MA-PDs. During the open enrollment period for the 2013 plan year, 95 percent of beneficiaries who 

enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans through Plan Finder enrolled in MA-PDs.

d

Includes new beneficiaries who enrolled in MA-PDs and beneficiaries who switched plans; excludes 

low income subsidy beneficiaries who were enrolled in plans by CMS.

e

Through July 31, 2013.

GAO provided a draft of this report to HHS. HHS agreed with GAO’s 

findings and provided a technical comment, which GAO incorporated. 

HHS’s written comments are reprinted in appendix I.

We are sending copies of this report to the Administrator of CMS. We will 

also make copies available at no charge on GAO’s website at 

http://www.gao.gov. 

Agency Comments
 

Page 21 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact 

me at (202) 512-7114 or KingK@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices 

of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last 

page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this report 

are listed in appendix II.

Kathleen King

Director, Health Care
Appendix I: Comments from the Department of 

Health and Human Services

Page 22 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Appendix I: Comments from the Department 

of Health and Human Services
Appendix I: Comments from the Department of 

Health and Human Services

Page 23 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder
Appendix II: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments

Page 24 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Kathleen King, (202) 512-7114, kingk@gao.gov. 

In addition to the contact named above, Martin T. Gahart, Assistant 

Director; Lori Achman; Michael Erhardt; Cathleen Hamann; Sara Rudow; 

and Hemi Tewarson made key contributions to this report.

Appendix II: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments

GAO Contact

Staff 

Acknowledgments
Related GAO Products

Page 25 GAO-14-143 Part D Plan Finder

Managing for Results: Leading Practices Should Guide the Continued 

Development of Performance.gov. GAO-13-517. Washington, D.C.: 

June 6, 2013.

Consumer Product Safety Commission: Awareness, Use, and Usefulness 

of SaferProducts.gov. GAO-13-306. Washington, D.C.: March 11, 2013.

Medicare: Quality of CMS Communications to Beneficiaries on the 

Prescription Drug Benefit Could Be Improved. GAO-06-715T. 

Washington, D.C.: May 4, 2006.

Medicare: Communications to Beneficiaries on the Prescription Drug 

Benefit Could Be Improved. GAO-06-654. Washington, D.C.: May 3, 

2006.

Related GAO Products

(291150)
The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation, and 

investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its 

constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and 

accountability of the federal government for the American people. GAO 

examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and 

policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance 

to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. 

GAO’s commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of 

accountability, integrity, and reliability.

The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no 

cost is through GAO’s website (http://www.gao.gov). Each weekday 

afternoon, GAO posts on its website newly released reports, testimony, 

and correspondence. To have GAO e-mail you a list of newly posted 

products, go to http://www.gao.gov and select “E-mail Updates.”

The price of each GAO publication reflects GAO’s actual cost of 

production and distribution and depends on the number of pages in the 

publication and whether the publication is printed in color or black and 

white. Pricing and ordering information is posted on GAO’s website, 

http://www.gao.gov/ordering.htm. 

Place orders by calling (202) 512-6000, toll free (866) 801-7077, or 

TDD (202) 512-2537. 

Orders may be paid for using American Express, Discover Card, 

MasterCard, Visa, check, or money order. Call for additional information.

Connect with GAO on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Subscribe to our RSS Feeds or E-mail Updates. Listen to our Podcasts. 

Visit GAO on the web at www.gao.gov. 

Contact:

Website: http://www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm

E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov

Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470

Katherine Siggerud, Managing Director, siggerudk@gao.gov, (202) 512-

4400, U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 

7125, Washington, DC 20548

Chuck Young, Managing Director, youngc1@gao.gov, (202) 512-4800

U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7149 

Washington, DC 20548

GAO’s Mission

Obtaining Copies of 

GAO Reports and 

Testimony

Order by Phone

Connect with GAO

To Report Fraud, 

Waste, and Abuse in 

Federal Programs

Congressional 

Relations

Public Affairs

Please Print on Recycled Paper.