This paper evaluates the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) out of the 2020 fiscal stimulus payments using high-frequency, transaction-level data for a sample of low-income cardholders, many of whom are unbanked. Consumers' MPC out of non-stimulus income and their MPC out of tax refunds are estimated simultaneously. Spending responds less on impact to the stimulus payments than to non-stimulus income (15 cents versus 20 cents per dollar of income), but stimulus-payment spending quickly catches up and is noticeably higher than non-stimulus-income spending on a cumulative basis after 16 weeks (66 cents versus 46 cents). This finding is qualitatively quite robust, and there is relevant heterogeneity in the spending responses across cardholders that includes some pandemic-related effects.
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Improper payments are a longstanding, widespread, and significant problem in the federal government. The Congress enacted the Improper Payments Information Act (IPIA) of 2002 to address this issue. Fiscal year 2004 marked the first year that federal agencies governmentwide were required to report improper payment information under IPIA. One result of IPIA has been increased visibility over improper payments by requiring federal agencies to identify programs and activities susceptible to improper payments, estimate the amount of their improper payments, and report on the amount of and their actions to reduce their improper payments in their annual Performance and Accountability Reports (PAR). Because of your continued interest in addressing the governmentwide improper payments issue, you asked GAO to report on the progress being made by agencies in complying with certain requirements of IPIA. My testimony today summarizes the results of that work reported to you in March 2005. Ultimately, the success of this legislation hinges on each agency's diligence and commitment to identifying, estimating, and determining the causes of, then taking corrective actions, and measuring progress in reducing improper payments."
AbstractThis article examines the use of government benefits and allowances by Australian immigrants relative to their native‐born counterparts. The study extends the Australian literature by employing micro‐level (Australian Longitudinal Survey) data, controlling for a number of relevant variables including first or second generation immigrant status and the nature of transfer payments received. The data on young adults employed in the study provide a comparable population for examining the relative use of benefits among those of similar age, allowing comparisons based on only the relevant types of benefits. The results consistently reject the hypothesis that immigrants are disproportionately using benefit payments and thereby imposing a burden on public funds. These results are of interest, especially since Australia is already a major immigrant‐receiving country, and since the Australian welfare system is more extensive in its coverage than most other immigrant‐receiving countries.
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO has designated Medicare as a high-risk program because of its size, complexity, and susceptibility to improper payments. In 2010, Medicare covered 47 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries and had estimated outlays of $516 billion. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the agency in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responsible for administering the Medicare program and leading efforts to reduce Medicare improper payments. This testimony focuses on estimated improper payments in the Medicare program for fiscal year 2010 and the status of CMS's efforts to implement key strategies to help reduce improper payments. This testimony is primarily based on previous GAO reporting related to governmentwide improper payments, Medicare high-risk challenges and program integrity efforts, and CMS's information technology systems intended to identify improper payments. GAO supplemented that prior work with additional information on the nature and extent of Medicare improper payments reported by HHS in its fiscal year 2010 agency financial report. GAO also received updated information from CMS in February 2011 and, in select cases, as of July 2011, on its actions related to relevant laws, regulations, guidance, and open recommendations pertaining to key remediation strategies."
"This publication lists the payments made to government units as provided under the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 (P.L.92-512)." ; "This publication lists the payments made to government units as provided under the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 (P.L.92-512)." ; Mode of access: Internet.
This paper reviews evidence on the benefits and challenges faced by governments migrating from cash to digital (electronic) government-to-person (G2P) payments. When supported by an appropriate consumer financial protection framework, digital payments enable confidential and convenient financial services, which can be especially important for women. By shifting government wages and social transfers into accounts, governments can lead by example. Digitizing G2P payments has the potential to dramatically reduce costs, increase efficiency and transparency, and help recipients build familiarity with digital payments. Digital wage and social transfer payments can also provide the on-ramp to financial inclusion and in many cases the first account that the recipient has in her own name and under her control. However, digitizing G2P payments is not without its challenges. Most importantly, digitization may require significant up-front investments in building an adequate physical payment infrastructure that is able to process such payments, as well as a financial identification system and a consumer protection and education framework to ensure that recipients have safe, reliable, and affordable access to the digital payment system.
Analysis ; As a result of financial pressure, many Hong Kong Government departments have in recent years made an administrative decision to levy charges for some of their services. In so doing, the time-honoured constitutional principle that there is no power to levy charges in the absence of clear legislative authority may well have been overlooked. The author warns that in the absence of express or implied statutory power, such levies will be ultra vires. ; published_or_final_version
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Concerns were raised about the system Medicare uses to determine annual changes to physician fees--the sustainable growth rate (SGR) system--when it reduced physician fees by almost 5 percent in 2002. Subsequent administrative and legislative actions modified or overrode the SGR system to avert fee declines in 2003, 2004, and 2005. However, projected fee reductions for 2006 to 2012 have raised new concerns about the SGR system. Policymakers question the appropriateness of the SGR system for updating physician fees and its effect on physicians' continued participation in the Medicare program if fees are permitted to decline. At the same time, there are concerns about the impact of increased spending on the long-term fiscal sustainability of Medicare. GAO was asked to discuss the SGR system. Specifically, this statement addresses the following: (1) how the SGR system is designed to moderate the growth in spending for physician services, (2) why physician fees are projected to decline under the SGR system, and (3) options for revising or replacing the SGR system and their implications for physician fee updates and Medicare spending. This statement is based on GAO's most recent report on the SGR system, Medicare Physician Payments: Concerns about Spending Target System Prompt Interest in Considering Reforms (GAO-05-85)."
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses preventing and addressing government payment errors in the Medicare program. Medicare, which provides health insurance for those aged 65 and older and certain disabled persons, is susceptible to improper payments due to its size and complexity. Because the Medicare program has paid billions of dollars in error each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)--the agency that administers Medicare--conducts a number of activities to reduce improper payments. CMS administers the Medicare program with the help of Medicare claims administration contractors, which are not only responsible for processing and paying approximately 4.5 million claims per day, but for also conducting pre-payment reviews of claims to prevent improper payments before claims are paid, as well as post-payment reviews of claims potentially paid in error. To supplement these and other program integrity efforts, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 directed CMS to conduct a 3-year demonstration project on the use of a new type of contractors---recovery audit contractors (RAC)---in identifying underpayments and overpayments, and recouping overpayments in the Medicare program. The RAC demonstration program began in 2005. Subsequently, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 required CMS to implement a national recovery audit contractor program by January 1, 2010. Since the conclusion of the demonstration project, CMS and we have reported on improvements needed for the RAC national program. For example, in a June 2008 report evaluating the demonstration project, CMS reported its intent to make a number of changes to the RAC national program to better address RAC-identified vulnerabilities, respond to provider concerns, and streamline operations. In March 2010, we reported on weaknesses in the agency's actions to address improper payments and CMS concurred with our recommendations. The findings in both reports are important in light of the administration's recent commitment to reducing payment errors in federal programs. In addition, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandates the use of RACs to identify overpayments and underpayments and to recoup overpayments made in Medicare Parts C and D and the Medicaid program. Not only can CMS's experience with RAC contractors benefit its other programs, but lessons learned from the RAC program may also assist other agencies' payment recapture audits, increase the funds recovered, and help prevent such improper payments from being made in the future. Our testimony is based on our March 2010 report13 and will focus on the lessons that can be learned from the RAC demonstration about (1) developing an adequate process and taking corrective action to address RAC-identified vulnerabilities leading to improper payments, (2) resolving coordination issues between the RACs and the Medicare claims administration contractors, and (3) establishing methods to oversee RAC claim review accuracy and provider service during the national program."
