COVID-19 - Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires Fixes to Improve Health Data and Address Improper Payments - GAO-22-105397

Sep 23, 2026

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GAO-22-105397 examines the federal government’s continued efforts to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on public health data quality and payment integrity. The report describes declining case counts after the Omicron peak while highlighting ongoing challenges tied to variant evolution and the need for agile response. It outlines vaccination impacts, summarizes the status of prior GAO recommendations, and presents 15 new recommendations plus one matter for congressional consideration, especially for COVID-19 spending oversight.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages407

Reading Time2 h 22 min

AccessFree to download

Highlights of GAO-22-105397

Why GAO Did This Study

What GAO Found

What GAO Recommends

Payment Integrity: COVID-19 Spending

United States Government Accountability Oﬃce Report to Congressional Committees April 2022 COVID-19 Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires Fixes to Improve Health Data and Address Improper Payments GAO-22-105397 [www.gao.gov](www.gao.gov) 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 mostrecent 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 10th 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 [farbj@gao.gov](farbj@gao.gov). April 27, 2022 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 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. Payment Integrity: COVID-19 Spending The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 defines improper payments as any payment that should not have been m

FAQs

What does the report focus on regarding U.S. pandemic preparedness?

It focuses on improving health data and strengthening oversight of improper payments while assessing federal efforts to respond to and recover from COVID-19.

What is described about COVID-19 trends and the Omicron period?

Daily cases had fallen substantially after the Omicron peak, and hospitalizations and deaths also decreased, but variant effects and BA.2 prevalence point to enduring response challenges.

How does the report address improper payments in COVID-19 spending?

It explains the definition of improper payments under the Payment Integrity Information Act and discusses how risk assessments and reporting timing can delay improper-payment information for new programs; it also reiterates matters to consider for future legislation.

Sep 23, 2026

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