‘I am on it’: Health minister accelerates audit of vaccine injury program
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is expediting its audit of the company that oversees the troubled Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) and has asked agency staffers to recommend new ways of delivering the services to ailing Canadians.
“PHAC is currently accelerating its audit of Oxaro and Oxaro’s management of the Vaccine Injury Support Program, and the Agency will provide recommendations on alternative delivery models for the program,” said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell, a senior communications adviser responsible for issues management in the health minister’s office.
Gauduchon-Campbell revealed those developments in an email this week following the broadcast and publication of a three-part investigation Global News investigation into VISP in July.
“All options are on the table as we make sure that taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately, and that the money is being spent on supporting Canadians who have been injured,” she added.
Asked about the sped-up scrutiny at a news conference in Fredericton Tuesday, Health Minister Michel told reporters: “I cannot add any comment more for now, but I am on it.”
The audit’s previous deadline was not disclosed and the minister’s spokeswoman declined to disclose the revised deadline.
“PHAC’s audit of OXARO’s work is part of normal practice and understood from the outset of any program as a condition of the contribution agreement. However, PHAC has accelerated its response based on its initial analysis of the program and the direction from Minister Michel to find a solution that resolved the identified problems,” Gauduchon-Campbell added in a second statement last night.
Neither the minister nor her staff would elaborate on what they mean by “alternative delivery models.” Those could include the government taking back administration of the program itself or hiring a new private company to serve as administrator to handle vaccine injury claims.
The Liberal government in 2020 announced it would create VISP to provide financial support to anyone who is seriously and permanently injured as it embarked on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the largest such effort in the country’s history.
The government decided to outsource its administration to an Ottawa consulting firm, Oxaro Inc., in 2021. But the Global News series revealed allegations and complaints by applicants and former workers about its flawed delivery over the past four years, despite $54 million in taxpayer dollars going to the program.
In response to the revelations, four opposition Conservative MPs called for a Commons committee investigation into the VISP, and a pivotal non-profit health foundation also said the program needs an urgent overhaul.
The five-month Global News investigation that prompted the outcry revealed that:
- Oxaro had received $50.6 million in taxpayer money; $33.7 million has been spent on administrative costs, while injured Canadians received $16.9 million. Updated Health Canada figures released last week show the company has now received $54.1 million and spent $36.3 million on administration costs, with just $18.1 million paid to injured Canadians
- PHAC and Oxaro underestimated the number of injury claims VISP would get, initially predicting 40 per year and then up to 400 valid claims annually. More than 3,317 applications have been filed — of those, more than 1,738 people await decisions on their claims
- Some injured applicants say they face a revolving door of unreachable VISP case managers and require online fundraising campaigns to survive
- Some VISP applicants and former staff said Oxaro was unequipped to deliver fully on the program’s mission to deliver “timely and fair” support, and questions emerged about why the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) chose this company over others, while internal documents suggested poor planning from the start
Global News obtained internal government documents that suggested poor planning from the start as both PHAC and Oxaro underestimated the number of applications the program would get.
In an email to Global News Monday, a VISP spokesman identified only as “William, Case Escalation Manager,” reiterated earlier comments and responses by the consulting company but confirmed Global News reporting on the wildly inaccurate claims forecasts.
“Applications to the program grew to more than 10 times the originally anticipated levels,” William said. “The program processes, procedures and staffing were adapted to face this unexpected increase in volume.”
“VISP is a program that adapts to changing circumstances and continuously improves to meet its objectives,” William added.
The Oxaro spokesman said the company and PHAC have been collaborating closely to evaluate how the program “can remain agile to handle the workload on hand while respecting budget requirements.”
Oxaro has also said that its monthly invoices sent to the government include documents and details, which in turn PHAC reviews and approves prior to all payments it gets.
When it bid for and won the VISP contract in 2021, Oxaro vowed it had the “people, processes, and tools” to run the initiative with “industry best practices.”
Global News also heard descriptions of a workplace that lacked the gravitas of a program meant to assist the seriously injured and chronically ill: drinking in the office, ping pong, slushies and Netflix streaming at desks.
Some workers said the office distractions had improved in recent months and emphasized that they had done their best with the resources they were given.
One worker added that: “I don’t think anyone actually understood the severity or the relevance of the program that was being contracted to the firm.”
READ MORE OF OUR COVERAGE
PART 1: Canada set up a $50M vaccine injury program. Those harmed say it’s failing them
PART 2: ‘Nothing was ready’: Inside Canada’s Vaccine Injury Support Program
PART 3: VISP aimed to curb vaccine injury lawsuits. Now, people are suing in 3 provinces
READ OTHER RELATED STORIES:
Vaccine injury programs elsewhere also face challenges, criticism
Is VISP an independent administrator? Here’s what some documents say
Tory MPs, health group call for investigation and overhaul of vaccine support program
Federal auditors target vaccine injury program amid surprise Oxaro office visit
‘Breach of trust’: Critics slam Ottawa’s vaccine injury program ‘failure’
Want to contact us about this investigation? Email: [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also reach Andrew at (416) 550-4684.
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