This report updates our oversight of some aspects of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings include: Spending. Federal obligations totaled $1.5 trillion and expenditures totaled $1.3 trillion, as of June 30. Public health. Between January 1 and June 30, about 125,000 more deaths occurred from all causes than would normally be expected—an indicator of the pandemic's effect on hea...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress appropriated $2.6 trillion in emergency assistance for people, businesses, the health care system, and state and local governments. How are federal agencies spending these funds? We testified that the Small Business Administration processed over $512 billion in guaranteed small business loans, but isn’t ready to address fraud risks and hasn’t sa...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress appropriated $2.6 trillion in emergency assistance for people, businesses, the health care system, and state and local governments. How are federal agencies administering this spending? We found that the Small Business Administration processed over $512 billion in guaranteed small business loans, but isn’t ready to address fraud risks and hasn’t...

We make more than 1,000 recommendations annually to help improve government. We alert department heads to the recommendations that can save the most money, address issues on our High Risk List, or significantly improve their operations. This report outlines our 55 priority open recommendations for HHS as of April 2020. For example, HHS should work with its interagency biodefense team to document...

The federal government’s Black Lung Disability Trust Fund faces financial challenges and has borrowed billions to cover costs. The Trust pays benefits to certain coal miners when no coal mine operator can be held responsible, or when the liable operator does not pay. Three mine operator bankruptcies have further strained Trust finances by transferring $865 million in estimated benefit responsib...

The federal government’s Black Lung Disability Trust Fund faces financial challenges and has borrowed billions to cover costs. The Trust pays benefits to certain coal miners when no coal mine operator can be held responsible, or when the liable operator does not pay. Three coal mine operator bankruptcies have further strained Trust finances by transferring $865 million in estimated benefit resp...

The Food and Drug Administration charges tobacco manufacturers a fee to fund regulation activities (such as educating the public about risks associated with tobacco). These fees, which are based on companies’ market shares, were about $635 million in FY 2017. FDA is supposed to check its fee calculations and make adjustments at the end of each year, but the most recent adjustment was completed...

Workers and employers pay into Social Security and Medicare trust funds, which pay out to current beneficiaries. Federal law requires the trust fund boards of trustees to report fund financial outlook to Congress each year by April 1. We found the trustees have missed the deadline in 17 of the last 25 years, and were over 2 months late in 6 of the last 10 years. The reports can be delayed for man...

Multiple factors have challenged Black Lung Disability Trust Fund (Trust Fund) finances since it was established about 40 years ago. Its expenditures have consistently exceeded its revenues, interest payments have grown, and actions taken that were expected to improve Trust Fund finances did not completely address its debt. When necessary to make expenditures, the Trust Fund borrows with interest...

A small percentage—about 1 percent—of plan year (PY) 2015 enrollments were potentially improper or fraudulent. These applicants had unresolved inconsistencies related to citizenship, status as a national, lawful presence, or Social Security number (SSN), or received coverage while reportedly deceased, according to GAO's analysis of federally facilitated marketplace (FFM) eligibility and enroll...