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119782 1 (1982-08-10)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacxur0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REGIONAL OFFICE Room 1992, Federal Building Seattle, Washington 98174 Mr. William H. Mayer Regional Director Federal Emergency Management Agency 119782 Region X Bothell, Washington 98011 Dear Mr. Mayer: We recently reviewed-Washington State' s administration of the medical relocation program, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Individual and Family Grant program. We conducted this review as part of an overall examination of Federal funding after the Mount St. Helens disaster. Our review of program guidelines and medical relocation files in Olympia and our discussions with Federal and State program officials, grantees, and commercial moving company representatives disclosed several management weaknesses and questionable practices. We found that grant recipients did not always repay excess grant funds as required; that the State relocated individuals to areas far in excess of distance guidelines without placing satisfactory explanations in the files; and that the State relocated some individuals to areas from which it had moved others, again without placing adequate justificatiohs in the files. We found these problems in .& high pr6portion of the grants we examined. While we are not in a position to evaluate the medical necessity for or appropriateness of the grants, we belieye that the lack of evi- dence in the files raises questions as to whether the State has adequate safeguards and controls to assure that medical judgments are well docu- mented and that Federal funds are appropriately and effectively used. INTRODUCTION--INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY GRANT PROGRAM Section 408 of Public Law 93-288, the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, authorizes the President to make grants to States to meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals or families adversely affected by a major disaster who are unable to meet such expenses through other means. Under the program, an individual or family can receive a grant of up to $5,000. The Federal share of the program is 75 percent; the State pays the remaining 25 percent. The Governor of the affected State requests grant assistance from the appropriate FEMA Regional 0 ~ 3 .) r~ ~

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