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Health Care
The Health Care Financing Administration is shifting from red tape to results so doctors and hospitals
can focus more time and attention on their patients. For example, doctors will no longer have to sign an
additional form for each patient attesting to the fact that all of the medications and treatments they
ordered were proper. That alone eliminates 11 million forms and frees up 200,000 hours of doctor time each
year. And instead of holding frequent inspections to make sure procedures are being followed and all the
paperwork is in order, HCFA will check to see how the patients are doing. And they will publish the results
to help consumers make informed choices. They will inspect laboratories more selectively, focusing on
those with past problems, and they will stop wasting money regulating lab tests that are done by machines
that rarely make mistakes.