HHS has hired four outside firms to audit the billions of dollars it sent to hospitals and other healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to STAT.
The first audits will begin after Sept. 30 and will focus on the providers who received at least $750,000 from the $178 billion provider relief fund program.
Creative Solutions Counseling signed a $730 million contract for audit and financial review, Grant Thorton signed a $3 million contract for audits, assessments and analytical review of the provider relief fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers signed a $1.2 million contract for financial review services and Kearney & Co. is also involved in the audits. Separately, KPMG signed a $3 million contract to ensure program integrity, according to the report.
HHS' Office of the Inspector General also plans to perform its own audit of the program to determine if the payments were calculated correctly and went to eligible providers.
Access the full report here.
Editor's note: The article was updated Sept. 10 to clarify that KPMG is not one of the four firms conducting audits for the provider relief fund.