Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic poses special challenges for victims of domestic violence. Because of economic and other uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and the shelter-in-place orders in effect for most States, abusers may exert further power and control over their partners. Victims in these States are more socially isolated and have fewer opportunities to connect with others who may be able to assist them. Isolated victims may be less likely to use crisis hotlines because their abusers are close by, and victims may face repercussions if they reach out for help. For fiscal year 2020, the Administration for Children and Families allocated $12 million for the National Domestic Violence Hotline (the Hotline). The Hotline operates a 24-hour, national, toll-free, and confidential telephone hotline for victims of domestic violence. It maintains a comprehensive resource database on services for these victims and is the only 24/7 center in the Nation that has access to service providers and shelters across the United States. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provided additional funding of $2 million for the Hotline, including hotline services provided remotely. Our objectives are to identify: (1) trends with the Hotline data that occurred during nationwide shelter-in-place orders and (2) whether the Hotline faced challenges that occurred during States' shelter-in-place orders and actions it has taken to address these challenges while continuing to support those affected by domestic violence.

As part of the Office of Inspector General’s effort to provide oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) relief efforts provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), we reviewed HUD’s communication to renters regarding the eviction moratorium found in Section 4024. The objective of our review was to highlight the progress HUD has made and identify areas for improvement. We found that HUD provided critical information to many of these renters through its website and published guidance. However, we identified several aspects of...

To address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPP) together appropriated $2 billion to reimburse providers for costs associated with conducting COVID-19 testing and testing-related items and services for the uninsured. Additionally, a portion of the $175 billion appropriated to the Provider Relief Fund by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and PPP will be used for treating uninsured individuals with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. HHS, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), launched the COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal, a single electronic claims processing system for health care providers for submitting claims for reimbursements for diagnostic testing and treating uninsured individuals. We will determine whether claims for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and treatment services reimbursed by HHS through HRSA's COVID-19 Uninsured Program complied with Federal requirements.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this study to follow up on information we shared previously regarding what information servicers of mortgage loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are providing to borrowers regarding forbearance options available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). We reported on April 27, 2020, that our review of 30 FHA servicers who service approximately 90 percent of FHA loans, revealed that FHA servicer websites provided incomplete, inconsistent...

As part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) effort to provide oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) relief efforts provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), we reviewed HUD’s responses to inquiries regarding forbearance and foreclosure relief. The objective of our review was to evaluate the accuracy of HUD’s responses to inquiries from borrowers, industry partners, and the general public regarding forbearance and foreclosure relief provided by the CARES Act. We found that HUD could improve its customer service to...

HHS may take a variety of actions in response to an emerging infectious disease, including, but not limited to, actions related to resources, supplies, and treatments needed to address COVID-19. This study will examine actions taken by HHS, including the Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, to protect public health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Protect.HHS.gov ecosystem and the U.S. Healthcare COVID-19 portal are both critically important systems contributing to the Federal pandemic response. The data collected by these systems are utilized in the response to COVID-19 by, for example, tracking the movement of the virus, identifying potential stresses in the health care delivery system, and provide information about the distribution of supplies. Without proper cybersecurity, the integrity and availability of the data are at risk and the impact to public health efforts could be significant if decisionmakers cannot rely on COVID-19 data from States, communities, and hospitals. We will determine whether HHS has implemented foundational cybersecurity controls to ensure the integrity and availability of Protect.HHS.gov and the U.S. Healthcare COVID-19 portal.

CDC has stated that beneficiaries with serious underlying medical conditions, such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Regardless of the current pandemic, dialysis patients are at high risk of infection because of weakened immune systems, coexisting conditions such as diabetes, and treatments requiring frequent use of catheters or insertions of needles to access the bloodstream. ESRD facility conditions for coverage regarding infection control and emergency preparedness are defined in 42 CFR 494 Subpart B. On March 30, 2020, CMS issued a revised memorandum providing guidance for infection control and prevention of COVID-19 in dialysis facilities. We will interview corporate officers from the three ESRD service companies covering more than 75 percent of CY 2018 Medicare reimbursements and 71 percent of dialysis clinics. Our objective is to determine whether ESRD facilities implemented additional infection control and emergency preparedness procedures in accordance with CMS and CDC guidance to safeguard high risk ESRD beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act appropriated $175 billion for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to support health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, the Health Resources and Services Administration began distributing the funds through general distributions to Medicare providers based on 2018 net patient revenue and targeted distributions for certain provider types (e.g., providers in areas particularly impacted by COVID-19, skilled nursing providers, and providers in rural areas). Providers such as hospitals may be eligible for PRF payments from the general and targeted distributions. We will select for audit a statistical sample of providers that received general and/or targeted distributions. Our objective is to determine whether providers that received PRF payments complied with certain Federal requirements, and the terms and conditions for reporting and expending PRF funds.