Coronavirus Roundup: Present and Former IRS Staff Face COVID Fraud Fees 

A brand new Well being and Human Providers Division report particulars the reductions in deaths and hospitalizations because of COVID-19 vaccinations.

“Our mannequin outcomes point out that COVID-19 vaccinations had been related to an estimated 670,000–680,000 fewer hospitalizations and 330,000–370,000 fewer deaths amongst all Medicare beneficiaries by the top of 2021,” the report mentioned. “This represents a 39–47% discount in these outcomes.” Moreover, the reductions in hospitalizations translated to an approximate $16.3– $16.5 billion financial savings in hospital prices, which is a six-fold enhance from HHS’s earlier examine, mentioned the report, launched Friday. 

“This report reaffirms what we now have mentioned all alongside: COVID-19 vaccines save lives and stop hospitalizations,” mentioned HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, in a press release. “I urge everybody eligible to get an up to date COVID vaccine to guard your self forward of the autumn and winter.” Listed below are among the different latest headlines you may need missed. 

5 present or former Inner Income Service workers had been charged with defrauding the COVID reduction applications for small companies, the Justice Division introduced on Tuesday. “This matter demonstrates the brazenness with which unhealthy actors have taken benefit of federal applications meant to assist those that suffered most from the COVID-19 pandemic,” mentioned Kevin Chambers, director of COVID fraud enforcement. 

“These circumstances had been introduced as a part of an interagency effort to fight and stop CARES Act fraud by federal workers,” the Justice Division acknowledged. “The initiative is led by the U.S. Division of Justice’s Legal Division, Fraud Part, U.S. Attorneys’ Places of work, and brokers with [the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration] and [Small Business Administration inspector general].” Authorities Government requested the Justice Division for extra info on this effort, however officers declined to remark. 

A federal appeals courtroom in New Orleans on Monday was the newest to listen to arguments within the slew of challenges to the vaccine mandate for federal contractors. This explicit case entails the mandate in Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana. “Judges repeatedly requested Justice Division legal professional David Peters about limitations on presidential energy below federal legislation,” Insurance coverage Journal reported. “They requested whether or not a president may go as far as to require that contractors solely rent individuals from properties the place there aren’t any people who smoke, or the place contraception is used.” Peters mentioned a rule involving relations can be out of bounds. 

“Elizabeth Murrill of the Louisiana Lawyer Normal’s Workplace argued that the administration went too far in a matter that impacts contracts in three states involving greater than $100 billion in spending,” mentioned the report. “Murrill additionally made a lot of a Biden interview that aired in mid-September by which he mentioned the pandemic was over, a comment he later clarified after going through warmth from well being specialists, who fear the message would possibly sluggish prevention efforts.” 

A new watchdog report appears to be like at how the Federal Emergency Administration Company used mission assignments, that are work orders to do particular duties, to supply COVID funding to federal companies to help the pandemic response. “Though [FEMA] processed and obligated funds well timed to different federal companies, it didn’t present enough oversight to make sure [other federal agencies] used pandemic funding as required,” the report from the Homeland Safety Division inspector common mentioned. FEMA officers adopted unofficial processes as a substitute of the company’s mission task information and FEMA’s shut out crew didn’t have sufficient staffing to verify again in with companies once they didn’t give the required information.

“Because of this, FEMA doesn’t have satisfactory visibility into how [agencies] in the end used greater than $8.3 billion in obligated funds for COVID-19 [mission assignments] and we’re questioning as unsupported greater than $103 million FEMA reimbursed to [agencies] with out enough documentation to find out eligibility,” the report mentioned. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Ailments and the president’s chief medical adviser, went with comic Stephen Colbert to get his up to date booster shot. Watch the video here.

Assist us perceive the scenario higher. Are you a federal worker, contractor or army member with info, considerations, and so forth. about how your company is dealing with the coronavirus? E-mail us at newstips@govexec.com.