UTI keto mye HerMC( Va tlawcel lel liam elii( a)

GAO Report to Congressional Committees

 

pa
COVID-19

Current and Future Federal
Preparedness Requires Fixes to
Improve Health Data and Address
Improper Payments

GAO-22-105397 Wwww.gao.gov
GAO
Highlights

Highlights of GAO-22-105397, a report to
congressional committees.

 

Why GAO Did This Study

By the end of March 2022, the U.S.
had about 80 million reported cases of
COVID-19 and over 980,000 reported
deaths, according to CDC. The country
also experiences lingering economic
repercussions related to the pandemic,
including rising inflation and ongoing
supply chain disruptions.

As of February 28, 2022 (the most
recent date for which data were
available), the federal government had
obligated $4.2 trillion and expended
$3.6 trillion for pandemic relief. These
amounts reflect 91 and 79 percent,
respectively, of the total amount of
COVID-19 relief funds provided by the
CARES Act and five other relief laws.

The CARES Act includes a provision
for GAO to report on its ongoing
monitoring and oversight efforts
related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This report-GAO's 10"
comprehensive report-examines the
federal government's continued efforts
to respond to, and recover from, the
COVID-19 pandemic. In addition,
GAO's March 17, 2022 testimony
included 10 new legislative
suggestions to enhance the
transparency and accountability of
federal spending, which we reiterate
here.

GAO reviewed federal data and
documents and interviewed federal
and state officials and other
stakeholders.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making 15 new
recommendations for agencies and
one matter for consideration by
Congress that are detailed in this
Highlights and in the report.

View GAO-22-105397. For more
information, contact Jessica Farb, (202)
512-7114 or farbji@gao.gov.

COVID-19

Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires
Fixes to Improve Health Data and Address Improper
Payments

What GAO Found

By late March 2022, daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. had fallen substantially
since the Omicron-related peak in January 2022. Though COVID-19-associated
hospitalizations and deaths have also decreased, the effects of the Omicron
variant-and the rising prevalence of its new BA.2 sublineage-underscore
enduring challenges and the importance of a continued, agile federal response.

This response has included a focus on COVID-19 vaccinations. As of March 26,
2022, about 70 percent of the eligible U.S. population had been fully vaccinated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting
vaccinated and staying up to date with vaccines-including a booster dose-is
the best way to protect against COVID-19. Data show that vaccinated adults
experienced lower COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates (see figure).

 

Age-Adjusted Rates of COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations by Vaccination Status in Adults
Aged 18 Years and Older, Oct. 2021-Feb. 2022

Rate per 100,000 population
160

 

 

 

(Fa
140 f* _
120 4 ~
100 f ~
sg ee
80 oll ~
- OO ~
60 ee a ~
40 ~~
oe a a a 'a
20 2 oe ae ~~ ag I _
nan =H were © we @ oa
0 i ae ooo,
10/30 11/6 11/13 11/20 11/27 12/4 12/11 12/18 12/25 1/1 1/8 1/15 1/22 1/29 2/5 2/12 2/19 2/26
2021 2022
Week
ome Unvaccinated
m= om Fully vaccinated without additional or booster dose

@e@e@e Fully vaccinated with additional or booster dose

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). | GAO-22-105397

Since June 2020, GAO has made 279 total recommendations for improving
federal pandemic operations. These recommendations include improvements in
such areas as publicly reporting COVID-19 nursing home vaccination data and
targeting vaccine outreach to veterans. Agencies have fully or partially addressed
39 percent of these recommendations as of March 2022, fully addressing 22
percent (61 recommendations) and partially addressing another 17 percent (48
recommendations). Fully addressing GAO's recommendations will enhance
federal COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery efforts, and help prepare for
future public health emergencies.

In this report, GAO makes 15 new recommendations and raises one matter for
congressional consideration in the areas of COVID-19 payment oversight, public
health data collection, and critical manufacturing, among others.

United States Government Accountability Office