Anesthesia Management: Investigators: Government fails to provide adequate data on Medicare provider cost and quality

I thought this was interesting so I wanted to share with our readers.

With many seniors facing high medical bills, a congressional investigation has found that federal government websites meant to give Medicare patients basic consumer tools instead fail to provide adequate information on out-of-pocket costs, and even quality of care.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that Medicare lacks clear procedures for getting useful information to consumers.

The report finds “critical weaknesses” in five consumer-information websites run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that seek to inform how well hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and other Medicare providers are doing.

The GAO said a confusing layout, data gaps and lack of customized information make it virtually impossible for consumers to get the information they need and won’t be fixed anytime soon, even as the federal government plans new websites on the quality of hospice, inpatient rehabilitation and long-term care.