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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 6, 2001 		Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

STATEMENT BY HHS SECRETARY TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Regarding the Medicare Error Rate and CFO Audit Report

The Department of Health and Human Services is proud of the progress it has made in improving its financial management and reporting. We owe the American people reliable financial data just as major corporations in the private sector owe a sound accounting to their shareholders. Our "clean opinion" does not mean our goal has been reached. We still have important work ahead of us, and I am committed to ensuring that the department invests in the technology and systems needed to make these improvements.

For Medicare in particular, that means not only modernizing the program's accounting systems, but also making its rules and procedures more understandable and user-friendly. Clarity and streamlining are important tools for improving the accuracy of Medicare payments. If we can make our programs and our coverage easier to understand, we'll be helping physicians and other providers to avoid unintended errors, and we'll help detect deliberate abuses as well.

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