Federal Reports

OIG issued this 2020 Census Alert due to our concerns—about the Census Bureau’s (Bureau’s) inconsistent implementation of safety procedures to prevent the spread of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) as it completed its 2020 Census operations—that required immediate attention. Based on the number and consistency of COVID-19-related OIG hotline complaints that we received, we were concerned that the Bureau was not fully complying with key elements of its own COVID-19 safety requirements—or operating fully in line with recommended guidance provided by the Department of Commerce (the Department), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor)—and was not holding its managers, employees, and contractors fully accountable for noncompliance, thereby putting their health at risk.Between March 9 and August 21, 2020, OIG received multiple hotline complaints from 26 different Bureau locations in multiple states, alleging 76 instances3 of violations related to the Bureau’s COVID-19 safety protocol. These included at least one of the following allegations: that Bureau employees (a) did not follow proper protocol when staff were exposed to office colleagues who tested positive to the virus; (b) did not follow social distancing recommendations; and/or (c) did not properly implement the mandate to wear masks or facial coverings, even when supplied by the Bureau.

Prior Office of Inspector General and other reports indicated substantial improvements in States’ third-party liability (TPL) identification and recovery efforts. However, the reports also indicated longstanding challenges States had in their TPL efforts. We conducted an audit of Indiana’s efforts to determine whether Medicaid is paying too much for claims in which members were identified as having TPL. Our objective was to determine whether Indiana ensured that Medicaid payments were made properly for claims identified as having third-party coverage.

o We surveyed staff at Border Patrol stations and OFO ports of entry from April 22, 2020 to May 1, 2020. The 136 Border Patrol stations and 307 OFO ports of entry that responded to our survey described various actions they have taken to prevent and mitigate the pandemic’s spread among travelers, detained individuals, and staff. These actions include increased cleaning and disinfecting of common areas, and having personal protective equipment for staff, as well as supplies available to those individuals with whom they come into contact. However, facilities reported concerns with their inability to practice social distancing and the risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to the close-contact nature of their work. Regarding staffing, facilities reported decreases in current staff availability due to COVID-19, but have contingency plans in place to ensure continued operations. The facilities expressed concerns regarding staff availability, however, if there were an outbreak of COVID-19 at the facility. Overall, the majority of respondents reported that their facilities were prepared to address COVID-19