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B-194548 1 (1979-07-10)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadhjs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 




                           THE  COMPTROLLEP GENERAL
DECIIONOF THE UNITED STATES
                           WASHINGTON, D, C, 20548



FILE:   B-1945f8                 DATE:   JUL 10 1979

MATTER   OF:    Use of L orrowing <uthority/o meet AFDC
                and Medicaid entitlements

DIGEST:    1. Provisions in HEW 1979 Appropriation Act provide
              HEW  with authority to make entitlement payments
              to States in final quarter of 1979 fiscal year for
              both AFDC  and Medicaid and charge corresponding
              1980 HEW  appropriation if, for any reason, 1979
              appropriations to meet entitlements in those pro-
              grams  are insufficient. This includes insufficiency
              caused by HEW's implementation of section 201
              of its 1979 Appropriation Act, which reduced HE W's
              budget authority for fiscal 1979 by $1 billion to be
              achieved by reducing fraud, abuse, and waste, since
              HEW's  $831 million reduction of AFDC and Medicaid
              was based on past State error rates and did not
              correct, identify, or eliminate improper payments.


           2. Statutory language and legislative histor¾ f sec -
              tion 201 of 1979 HEW A. propriation Act,' which
              reduced HEW's  budget authori y for fiscal 1979
              by $1 billion, clearly indicate that $1 billion
              reduction was to be achieved solely by reducing
              fraud, abuse, and waste, and was not intended,
              in any way, to affect legitimate entitlements.
              Therefore, HEW  can use its authority to
              borrow from its 1980 appropriation to replace
              funds cut from 1979 appropriation for AFDC and
              Medicaid in HEW's attempt to comply with sec-
              tion 201, if such additional funds are needed to
              make  entitlement payments to States for those
              programs  during final quarter of 1979 fiscal year.


    This decision is in response to a request from the Acting Sec-
retary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) for our opinion
on HEW's authority to borrow from its appropriation for fiscal
year 1980 (not yet enacted) to meet entitlements in the final quar-
ter of the present fiscal year in the Medicaid and Aid For Depend-
ent Children (AFDC) programs. As explained by HEW--


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