Congress is launching an investigation into concierge healthcare provider One Medical following allegations that the company has been administering COVID-19 vaccinations to ineligible patients and those with ties to company leadership, reports NPR.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis will investigate San Francisco-based One Medical's practices after an NPR investigation explored the publicly traded company's vaccine efforts. Local health departments have allocated the publicly traded medical service company thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses.
"Despite being warned that the company's lax oversight of vaccine eligibility rules was allowing ineligible patients to jump the line, One Medical has reportedly failed to properly implement an effective protocol to verify eligibility and instructed staff not to police eligibility," wrote subcommittee chairman James Clyburn, D-S.C., in a March 1 letter to One Medical, according to NPR.
Citing multiple news reports, Mr. Clyburn deemed One Medical's practices "irresponsible." The letter demands information about One Medical's vaccination practices by March 15. It seeks demographic breakdowns of COVID-19 vaccines administered and communications related to appointments made for those connected to company leadership.
One Medical responded to news of the probe, saying: "We remain dedicated to lending our time and resources to providing equitable and accessible care for the communities we serve, and are confident that we will be able to clear up these misunderstandings," according to NPR.
Several public health departments have paused cooperation with One Medical based on investigations that were reported to have found vaccination line-skipping.
To read One Medical's statement addressing the allegations, click here.