Latest news with #Oxaro
Global News
a day ago
- Health
- Global News
Federal auditors target vaccine injury program amid surprise Oxaro office visit
The federal government has launched a compliance audit to determine if an Ottawa consulting company is mismanaging the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), and Public Health Agency of Canada officials made a surprise visit to the firm's offices in mid-June, Global News has learned. A five-month-long Global News investigation of the VISP program triggered the audit and downtown Ottawa office visit by PHAC officials to check the consulting firm's work managing thousands of vaccine injury claims filed by Canadians, according to a confidential source familiar with the matter. Staff from the Public Health Agency of Canada conducted a visit to Oxaro/VISP offices in downtown Ottawa on June 17. That was after Global started asking questions about program administration by its hired consultants and sent letters seeking comments. Oxaro's five-year funding agreement with PHAC is up for renewal next year and the audit raises the possibility that the company could see a shorter contract extension, or not have it renewed at all if it does not pass the compliance audit. The government could also strengthen Oxaro staffing and training requirements. Story continues below advertisement The confidential source said that PHAC officials will continue to visit Oxaro's VISP offices 'on short notice and in-person to ensure that performance standards are met.' Global News agreed to not identify the source because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the site visits or compliance audit, though they are familiar with details about them. PHAC spokesman Mark Johnson confirmed the surprise June 17 Oxaro office visit by agency staff. 'PHAC has initiated the process for a compliance audit of the Oxaro-administered VISP,' he added. Oxaro did not respond to an emailed request for comment about the audit and site visit. The Vaccine Injury Support Program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic's early days. The effort was designed to support and compensate people who have been seriously and permanently injured by any Health Canada-authorized vaccine administered in Canada on or after Dec. 8, 2020. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The federal government invited companies and non-profits to submit proposals to administer the program in early 2021 and compete for a five-year contribution agreement to fund the effort. Oxaro vowed it had the 'people, processes, and tools' to run the initiative with 'industry best practices.' PHAC subsequently picked Oxaro to administer the program. Story continues below advertisement But the Global News investigation into the program, involving more than 30 interviews with current and former Oxaro employees, injured claimants and their attorneys, uncovered complaints that VISP has failed to deliver on its promise of 'fair and timely' access to financial support. Part 1 of the investigation revealed: Oxaro Inc., has received $50.6 million in taxpayer money. $33.7 million has been spent on administrative costs, while Canadians injured by vaccine shots during the COVID-19 pandemic have received only $16.9 million. 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 3,000 applications have been filed — of those, 1,700 people are still waiting for their claim to be decided. Some injured applicants say they face a revolving door of unreachable VISP case managers and fundraise online to survive. Some said their applications were unfairly rejected by doctors they've never spoken to or met. Despite decades of calls for a vaccine injury support program, the federal government cobbled it together during a pandemic. 4:04 'Chaos' inside Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program Part 2 of the investigation uncovered allegations that Oxaro was unequipped to deliver fully on the program's mission and raised questions about why PHAC chose this company over others. Story continues below advertisement Global News also revealed internal documents suggesting VISP fell short due to poor planning from the start. 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. 'I think they (injured claimants) were merely names on paper and nothing more than that.' View image in full screen The Ottawa consulting firm Oxaro Inc. was hired in 2021 to administer the federal government's Vaccine Injury Support Program. Global News In a previous response to Global News, Oxaro stated: 'The VISP is a new and demand-based program with an unknown and fluctuating number of applications and appeals submitted by claimants.' Story continues below advertisement 'The program processes, procedures and staffing were adapted to face the challenges linked to receiving substantially more applications than originally planned,' Oxaro added. 'Oxaro and PHAC have been collaborating closely to evaluate how the program can remain agile to handle the workload on hand while respecting budget constraints.' The company declined to comment on statements by its former workers.
Global News
2 days ago
- Health
- Global News
Is VISP an independent administrator? Here's what some documents say
The Public Health Agency of Canada publicly identifies Oxaro as VISP's 'independent 3rd party administrator' to highlight the arm's-length relationship between government and contractor. This was the reason PHAC outsourced the administration of VISP in the first place: to avoid a potential conflict of interest between its role as promoter and approver of COVID-19 vaccines and the role as administrator of another program that offers financial support to those damaged by the shots. Despite the assertion that VISP is independent, a PHAC communications strategy for the Vaccine Injury Support Program reveals that PHAC and Oxaro (formerly RCGT Consulting) regularly consult each other before responding to any question about the program, or to questions about VISP claimant cases that are asked by journalists or members of Parliament. View image in full screen An excerpt of a PHAC email obtained under the Access to Information Act. Global News A second document shows that PHAC and Oxaro agreed to co-develop what their VISP funding agreement described as 'a joint litigation-management plan.' Story continues below advertisement The plan requires them to work together 'for the purpose of mitigating risk of litigation' that could be launched against the agency or company, the document says. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A copy of the PHAC funding agreement was obtained under the Access to Information Act. View image in full screen Two pages from the 2021 government funding agreement between Public Health Agency of Canada and Oxaro (then called Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Consulting) shows they agreed to develop a litigation management plan. Global News Global News suggested to Oxaro that such arrangements suggest the consulting company is not an entirely independent administrator. Oxaro's written response? 'This question should be addressed to PHAC.' When Global News asked PHAC, the agency's repeated response was: 'VISP is being administered and delivered independently by Oxaro.'
Global News
3 days ago
- Health
- Global News
Oxaro statement: Consulting firm ‘continues to adapt' approach to VISP
Oxaro Inc., the Ottawa-based consulting company the federal government hired in 2021 to administer its Vaccine Injury Support Program, declined to be interviewed by Global News. It requested this news organization submit written questions. Global submitted a 15-page letter of queries. An anonymous reply from a 'VISP feedback' email address offered partial responses to the questions. Here is a collated version of them: The VISP is a new and demand-based program with an unknown and fluctuating number of applications and appeals submitted by claimants. Amounts invoiced by agreement All amounts invoiced by Oxaro are governed by the contractual agreement and reflect actual costs that is invoiced monthly with supporting details and documentation that are reviewed and approved by PHAC. Story continues below advertisement Timelines for a determination of eligibility and support will depend on the nature and complexity of the claim. All claims will be individually assessed by medical experts. The process will include a review of all required and relevant medical documentation, as well as current medical evidence, to determine if there is a probable link between the injury and the vaccine. If there is a probable link, the medical experts will also assess the severity and duration of the injury. This information will be used to determine the types and levels of financial support awarded to the individual or their survivor(s). Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The volume of claims received does have a direct impact on processing timelines We can also confirm that there is a table being used consistently by both the Quebec and VISP programs since inception. Once causality is established by the medical review board, this table is used to establish the severity of injuries. All cases treated fairly with respect The company statement offered two variations of this next sentence: We aim at providing a process that ensures that all cases are treated fairly and with the same care, respect, and due diligence. Our process ensures that all cases are treated fairly and with the same care, respect, and due diligence. If a claim is rejected, each claimant receives a letter explaining the reasons behind the decision. Claimants also have the opportunity to appeal decisions made by the medical review board. Story continues below advertisement No comment on former employee statements In collaboration with PHAC, Oxaro continues to adapt its approach based on actual number of applications and appeals received. We cannot comment on former employee representations. Amounts invoiced are not based on number of claims received. All amounts invoiced by Oxaro are governed by the contractual agreement and reflect actual costs that is (sic) invoiced monthly with supporting details and documentation that are reviewed and approved by PHAC No responses to test feedback survey Multiple options have been considered regarding claimant feedback surveys that would be cost effective and ensure confidentiality of claimants and their information. Story continues below advertisement In 2024, a paper survey option was tested with 50 claimants. No responses were received from claimants from this exercise. If a claim is rejected, each claimant receives a letter explaining the reasons behind the decision. Claimants also have the opportunity to appeal decisions made by the medical review board Why doctors are not identified The decision letter sent to claimants includes the composition of the three members of the medical review board by providing their respective areas of specialization. We do not share the identities of the doctors involved in their decisions for privacy and security reasons. All VISP physicians are licensed Canadian physicians, practicing in Canada. We cannot comment on specific cases (involving VISP claimants and their allegations).
