Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Other Financial Benefits, GAO-16-580T: Published: Apr 27, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 27, 2016.

“GAO’s 2016 annual report identifies 92 new actions that Congress and executive branch agencies could take to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government in 37 areas. GAO identifies 12 areas in which there is evidence of fragmentation, overlap, or duplication. For example, GAO found that the Internal Revenue Service could potentially collect billions of dollars in taxes owed and save resources by better managing fragmentation and overlap, improving communication, and streamlining processes within its nine public referral programs. GAO also identifies 25 areas where opportunities exist to reduce the cost of government operations or enhance revenue collections. For example, GAO found that Medicare could save billions of dollars if Congress were to equalize the rates Medicare pays for certain health care services, which often vary depending on where the service is performed. Congress and executive branch agencies have made progress in addressing the 544 actions government-wide that GAO identified in its past annual reports. As of March 2, 2016, 41 percent of these actions were addressed, 34 percent were partially addressed, and 20 percent were not addressed. Congressional and executive branch efforts to address these actions over the past 5 years have resulted in roughly $56 billion in financial benefits, with at least an additional $69 billion in estimated benefits projected to be accrued through 2025. These estimates are based on a variety of sources that considered different time periods, assumptions, and methodologies…”