New York City health officials regularly overpaid a contractor to administer COVID-19 tests and vaccines, paying as much as $14,050 for a single COVID-19 vaccination, an audit shows.
Officials let Executive Medical Services, a contractor awarded a contract early in the COVID-19 pandemic, to set its own staffing levels, leading to uncontrolled costs, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander found.
That led to exorbitant costs and low efficiency, with an analysis of invoices showing that only one vaccination was administered for every two billed hours.
“Emergency contracting allows the City to stand up vital services in times of crisis, but demands heightened vigilance to safeguard the fiscal interests of the City. Our audit reveals significant weaknesses in the control mechanisms that impact past, present, and potentially future emergencies. By addressing these challenges head-on, agencies can better spend New York City’s taxpayer dollars wisely and efficiently, even in crises,” Lander, a Democrat, said in a statement….