Department of Health and Human Services

One of the largest federal agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had budget outlays of nearly $340 billion and employed more than 57,000 individuals in fiscal year 1997. Its many missions affect the health and well being of nearly every American. HHS provides health insurance for about one in five Americans; conducts medical research to help cure and prevent diseases; ensures the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices; provides health care to persons who might otherwise have to do without; provides needy children and families with income support; and delivers a host of services to help the elderly remain independent. This testimony (1) discusses HHS' progress in strategic planning as envisioned by the Government Performance and Results Act and (2) highlights three underlying problems that have undermined HHS' effectiveness--coordinating and fixing accountability for the agency's 300 diverse programs; ensuring that it has the information systems it needs to manage and evaluate its programs and track its progress in meeting performance goals; and protecting programs vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.

GAO noted that: (1) considering the breadth and complexity of HHS' responsibilities, the size of its budget, and the importance of its programs, it is essential that HHS successfully and efficiently fulfill its mission; (2) HHS is committed to carrying out its programs efficiently, but problems have often been identified with HHS programs; (3) HHS deserves credit for its progress in complying with the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act; (4) the next critical stage in improving HHS' accountability for the public's investment in its programs will be to move from its strategic planning efforts to efficiently accomplishing its goals and objectives; and (5) successfully implementing HHS' plans will require vigilance by HHS and its agencies as well as continued congressional oversight.